Whispered Words in Silence
by Vincezra McQuestion
Summary: Thousands of years after taking a vow of silence, Pearl struggles to talk again with the help of Garnet and their friends. The growing presence of humans near the temple might make it harder. Sequel to Silent Intent.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello again~! As always, I do not own any of the Steven Universe characters, with the exception of Celestite.**

 **Quick note: This fic is set 200 years before Beach City, and picks up directly after Silent Intent.**

One of the few artifacts the Crystal Gems recovered that wasn't bubbled was a gem ship that lay docked in the sand. For a brief moment, Pearl and Amethyst forgot that the Crystal Gems were leaving to battle a corrupted gem at sea. They raced each other to the small ship with Pearl occasionally slowing down to let her shorter friend pass before speeding up again. When they were almost there Celestite grinned and suddenly chased after them, surprising both of her teammates. She caught Amethyst mid-stride and kept running. She lifted Pearl next, her grin growing at the startled tiny noise the pale fighter made. Celestite heard their leader laughing behind them. Rose's laughter masked the sound of Garnet's steps across the sand. A pair of hands tugged Pearl from the lunar Gem's grip, the impression of Garnet's gems through her gloves giving her away to her wife.

"Garnet!" Pearl whispered, giggling softly. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized she could hear herself. She looked at Garnet, who had sped up. "Garnet?"

"Don't want to share," her mate answered. "Not yet." This made her giggle more. Garnet grinned, listening to the sound as if it were the most beautiful sound in the universe. Knowing she caused it boosted her confidence. Pearl twisted in her arms while telling her wife to set her down. Pressing a quick kiss to her lips, Garnet set her down. Now that they had to moment to spare, Garnet noticed the changes to Pearl's form. Pearl did the same, smiling at the maroon star across left side of the fusion's pants and the decorative jacket. She tugged it the cuff of her sleeve, one eyebrow canting up to wordlessly question what appeared to be bandages wrapped around Garnet's torso.

Celestite slowed a bit seeing the couple already at the sloop, knowing those looks well. She rolled her eyes and shook her head but said nothing. While a little weird, she understood why they made sure to pause long enough to see how the other looked. Only the stars knew how many times they reformed with a different style. She appreciated the way Pearl chose her forms. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't reformed since the war nor could she recall the rebel leader ever having to at all. Amethyst looked at their friends. She thought Pearl looked good with the long-sleeved shirt and pants. "I thought we were going to fight a gem beast, not stare at each other's clothes all day."

"We are," answered Rose seriously. "But I've always made it a point to wait a moment if we have time to spare. It's nice, though. Garnet used to be terrified of Pearl."

"No, she didn't!" Amethyst argued.

Rose laughed, tapping Amethyst's nose. "She did. Pearl, Garnet, it's time to leave." Her lieutenant nodded back. She moved to help push the sloop further into the water with Garnet pushing on the other side. A quick projection of a pier flashed from Pearl's gem. Soon the ship was ready to sail, with Pearl and Garnet waiting for the rest of the group to climb aboard. Celestite moved to steer the ship in the direction Pearl and Amethyst pointed, while Rose settled in and called the others over to discuss strategy. It would take some time to reach their destination. The pale quartz listened intently as different techniques were suggested, each one taking into consider varying circumstances. On occasion the leader and her lieutenant debated on strategies.

The sun rising in the sapphire sky shone down harshly on them, although it didn't affect the group much. If anything, Amethyst napped near the bow with Pearl and Garnet stretched out besides her soaking in the warmth before they had to fight. The trio didn't appear to have a single care in the world and even Celestite relaxed at the helm. It felt peaceful in a dangerous way, like the calm before a storm. In a couple of moments, Rose Quartz had closed her eyes smiling peaceably at nothing in particular. Unknown to them, a dark shadow passed under the ship. As it passed, it circled around again nudging the hull with its side before moving on. The only one disturbed by the jolt was Pearl, who jumped to her feet to look for the source. Finding the cause, she crawled over Rose to steer the boat in the direction the shadow went.

"Garnet!" she stage whispered, keeping her eyes on the retreating corruption. When her mate didn't answer, she called again her voice failing her. A huff of exasperation escaped her at her own inability to speak much. She retrieved her warp whistle, ignoring the harsh sting of disappointment at having to use it, and let out a piercing signal. The effect was immediate; every Gem on board woke from their stupor on high alert. Now that she had their attention, Pearl gestured ahead of them to the submerged form they pursued.

She frowned as it dove deeper and disappeared. _It's gone. Well, it's there, but I can't see it._

A quick scan of the future let Garnet know it would most likely keep moving in the same direction. "We'll catch it. Good job, Pearl." She said, kissing Pearl's gem. "There's a ship nearby."

"We should warn them of the danger," Celestite added as she took over the helm. "Which direction are they in?"

 _East, south-east of us._ Pearl answered. _You can see it from here._


	2. Chapter 2

**See disclaimer in first chapter.**

The whistle rested between Pearl's fingers, her hand raised to sound it as soon as they were within earshot of the other vessel. Rose stood next to her watching the distance close. She didn't appear affected by the fact their boat swayed as it cut through the waves. Her dark eyes never moved from the ocean, scanning the waters for threat. She was glad to have Pearl beside her keeping watch as well. Pearl had always stood by her side and the pink quartz would not forget that. Three short chirps from the whistle startled her from her thoughts. There were people scurrying around on the other ship's deck, and then an answering whistle.

A moment passed while Pearl thought of a reply. She sent out a signal hoping they understood her warning. Back and forth she sent messages with whoever whistled back, until the two ships were close enough to talk. One of the men called out; his awed expression at Garnet made Pearl want to throw him overboard. He announced himself as Captain William Dewey. He looked sunburned, his beard was unkempt, and he clearly didn't have a clue what he was doing.

"Celestite, go with Pearl." Rose said. "Tell them to turn around." As the two Gems jumped onto the other ship, Rose was surprised when Garnet followed them. They landed quietly on the deck, and Celestite introduced Pearl as a messenger for Rose Quartz of the Crystal Gems. Dewey looked at the shorter figure who had stepped forward. He blushed, wondering what she was doing as she moved her hands. When she noticed he hadn't paid attention to her hands, she stomped and waved her hands.

 _You should leave this area. The land we walk is not safe for you._ Pearl signed. When Dewey gave her a confused grin, Celestite stepped closer behind her friend, her height making her tower over the crew. One hand came up to rest on the slender Gem's back as she raised her voice to be heard by everyone. "She said you should leave here. It isn't safe for you where we're from."

"Why didn't she use her voice?" He asked. The blunt question hurt Pearl. It felt as if an arrow shot through her heart, and she flinched. Soft whispers taunted her in the back of her mind. They mocked her, telling her she would never talk again, that she was useless, a hindrance, a burden that did nothing but hold everyone back. She shook her head trying to ignore the vicious words. It wasn't as though she didn't want to talk. She was trying! She wanted to say more than a few words at a time. The hand on her back rubbed in small circles slowly bringing her back to reality. Pearl blinked and looked up to find Celestite smiling reassuringly back. Sky blues watched as the larger quartz turned to the captain.

"She's was under a vow of silence so talking is tiring, and I'll thank you to choose your words more carefully," growled the lunar gem. She scowled darkly at the human. He fidgeted under her glare, flustered at offending the strange women. One of the crew made a comment about "William the Dunce" and another laughed.

"I-I apologize, miss. I meant no offense, truly." The captain stammered. Pearl smiled tightly, nodding her acceptance. "Y-you said I should leave?" She nodded again.

Celestite agreed adding, "It's not safe here."

"It would be wise to turn back." Garnet commented, raising protest from the human crew. Dewey gaped at her. How had he not noticed her before? She was beautiful in an exotic way her companions weren't. Her strange spectacles hid her eyes, but that just made her more enigmatic. She turned to look at Pearl who still stood with Celestite's hand between her shoulders. Her mate was rapidly signing various threats if he didn't quit staring at Garnet like a love-struck fool. "My wife wants you to know she doesn't like the way you're lookin' at me."

The captain stammered for a minute before glancing nervously at them both. The dark stare he received scared him. The glare moved from him to the water. "Nonsense! I'm not going to listen to you; I will find a new land!"

"Very well," Garnet answered, "Be careful, or your ship will sink in the waves. Humans aren't very good swimmers." Her mate nodded. From their boat they heard Amethyst shout her agreement, though Pearl suspected her little admirer had shouted just for fun without knowing what they'd said. Dewey seemed to think about that carefully. He looked at the strange women before him and in the ship near his. He had no idea where they came from or who they were, but he did know they meant well. He grimaced and nodded. He watched the trio jump off his ship and land on their vessel with ease. His first mate approached but said nothing. The man knew when to wait for him to speak.

Pearl, however, had already begun speaking the instant she landed. Her movements were agitated and she paced around the deck. _Did you see the way he looked at her? And the way he reacted when she told him we're married? He was still looking at her like she was some kind of food!_ She glanced at his boat, eyes widening when she saw him turn the sail and break it. The mast tumbled into the ocean. _He can't even turn a sail!_ Amethyst laughed at that. She hadn't been with them for the talk so listening to Celestite recall the events amused her. The part about the captain asking Pearl why she didn't speak upset her, but the long slender finger combing through her hair calmed her.

"We still haven't found the monster." The purple gem said, leaning into Pearl's hand. She giggled as Pearl lifted her, hugging her under her arms.

Rose sighed. "We keep looking." Her lieutenant stole an uneasy glance at the ship William Dewey was on. She set Amethyst down and went to Garnet, wrapping both arms around Garnet's.

 _You don't think it will attack them, do you?_ The pink-haired knight asked. Garnet saw several futures where Pearl was right. After a few minutes, she felt the knight tense. "Garnet?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimers in first chapter.**

 **Sorry for the late update. Things got a little hectic with the little sister graduating. :D**

While sailing through forty-foot waves felt exciting, Pearl barely resisted the part of her that wanted to smirk. Most of the time she enjoyed being right. She braced against the railing as the sloop rose and fell with the waves. Garnet shouted which direction to turn to Rose. They'd been following the "monster" for days. It left an easy trail to follow when it was near the surface. When it dived that it made chasing it difficult. A panicked cry rose above the roar of the ocean, and Pearl sent her mate a wary glance. She returned her gaze to the waves, spotting something off the port bow. Her hand shot out to point at it, calling attention to it for Amethyst and Garnet.

Another ship nearly capsized under the waves, and…Pearl narrowed her eyes. That ship looked familiar. Mentally groaning she realized where she'd seen it before. It was the one that fool William Dewey sailed on, the one with broken mast. "Garnet. Oh…er...th." _What is he doing here?_ She signed. _Rose, turn to port! There's a ship in distress._ The leader pointed the bow in the direction her lieutenant mentioned. The fierce expression her little friend wore made her worry for the unfortunate humans. Seawater flooded the deck constantly.

Everything slowed down then. The corruption they'd been chasing suddenly rose from the water, showering everyone. There were distant screams of alarm as it hit the humans' ship when it dived back down. Several men treaded water, swimming desperately to the boat. Before she stopped to think about it Pearl jumped overboard. Amethyst jumped after her, shapeshifting into a shark once she hit the water. She saw Pearl's gem light up and followed. Something touched her tail scaring her, and when she turned to bite it Garnet grinned at her. She swam past the purple shark, easily passing her and Pearl. To the quartz this all happened slowly.

Pearl vanished in the next instant, and everything sped up again. The light flickered. It flickered again. Her wife and friend watched it disappear altogether. Amethyst swam after her, changing back to grab her hand. Round blue eyes looked at her confused for a moment before widening. The white gem kicked upwards pulling Amethyst with her. She summoned the light again, illuminating the corruption passing underneath their feet. Pointing up she pushed the shorter swimmer away, summoning her spear. She wasn't the best underwater fighter, nor did she intend to stay there long, only until Amethyst reached the surface. The alabaster knight kicked up pulling Amethyst with her. As she signaled her teammate to go to Garnet, Pearl didn't see the monster circling back drawn to the light she made, but her mate did.

Razor-edged teeth dug into the knight's leg, the corruption twisting and rolling away from the threats as it did. Garnet chased it. She could catch it, _needed_ to catch it before her mate had to regenerate. It spun again and again. A sharp yelp sounded through the water. The fusion saw no possibilities of preventing reformation now, only a gem sinking to the depths: sometimes whole, sometimes cracked, even a future where there was nothing left but shards. In desperate terror she saw Pearl's leg detach from her body. No blood clouded the water since their bodies were made of light.

Pearl looked dazed, her eyes darting as though searching for someone, and she stretched out her hand. Amethyst froze too shaken from seeing her idol be defeated to help. She felt Garnet dive past her. The magenta Gem cursed herself for not paying attention. Her hand reached to grab Pearl's, their fingers interlacing. Hope sparked in her chest. Maybe there still was a chance to save her. A brief projection displayed Garnet. It vanished as quick as it appeared, leaving a smooth white gem to sink in its place while the fusion's hand closed on water. _No!_ The cry resonated in her from not just herself, but Ruby and Sapphire as well. Her fingers caught the smooth gem before it could sink further.

The corruption turned to Amethyst next. Taking a quick glance at her wife, Garnet decided to retreat. Guilt and anger gnawed at her thoughts. She had to get Amethyst and get back to the sloop. In moments she caught the quartz and surfaced. "Get to the ship!" She yelled over the waves, already swimming in that direction. Hands caught them and hauled them on deck. Rose's face twisted with worry, her usual smile replaced with a concerned frown. Relaxing her grip, the seer answered the unspoken question of where Pearl went. She could feel herself coming apart and held tighter to the gem in her hand careful not to put too much pressure on it.

"Get it together," she muttered to herself. "You can't do this now. Not when she needs you." The peculiar sense of hovering between existing and not existing intensified. In a burst of light Ruby and Sapphire separated, both moving to catch Pearl's gem before it could hit the deck. Ruby stared at it with wide eyes. Steam already radiated off her. She seemed to realize she was heating up, because she recoiled from touching it afraid she'd burn their friend. Sapphire hummed, wanting to do the same seeing that she would freeze if she held it alone.

"Ruby, you have to hold it with me." She said, her monotone voice masking her guilt. Warm hands wrapped around hers. Both Gems were too occupied replaying the scene in their heads to warn Celestite. The celestial quartz had summoned her knife and jumped over the railing onto the water. Her feet skimmed the surface as she advanced. She glided across the towering waves with an apparent ease until she found her prey, and unleashed a flurry of strikes at it. The pale quartz snarled. This one had taken out two of her friends. Prepared to slash at it again, she moved too slowly to avoid its tail. Celestite grunted as it smacked her back. Stilling reeling from the sudden turn she stood, raising her blade in defiance.


	4. Chapter 4

**As usual, disclaimers are in the first chapter. I'm sorry it's taken so long to update. Between writer's block and work, it was hard finding the inspiration to write this one. Strangely it took a kidney stone to get my muse back. I also forgot to give credit to my little sister for giving me an idea for the last chapter while I was stuck. :) Here's to you, rainbowgothelliefox.**

Fighting came naturally to her, as it had from the moment she emerged in the Kindergarten. She knew she was strong, and had never felt it to be truer than whenever she faced an enemy who was stronger. Unlike her leader, she did not smirk when she landed a hit. She would rather keep up the momentum of battle. No, Celestite would never deny she liked to fight. The corruption promised to be a challenge. It would have to be to take down Pearl and by doing that, destabilize Garnet. Celestite charged it, suddenly jumping to the side and dodging its tail. In a way this was the same as fighting on the battlefield, giving time for nothing else but action and reaction.

The corruption smacked her back again, and she grunted as she rolled across the ocean surface. Her tumble slammed her against the side of the sloop. The lunar Gem growled at her enemy. Something felt wrong but she couldn't place it. She stood again noticing she moved slower than before. Before she could raise her knife to fight more, the monster surged forward. It was all she could do to make herself sink. Mentally kicking herself for giving her enemy the advantage, Celestite fought her way back to the surface. Above the water she could see frost beginning to form and flashes of fire.

Ruby yelled as she punched at the corruption. She felt furious at it and at herself. Sapphire stood beside her. The blue seer floated calmly, her masked fury freezing the water around the ship. They both wanted to protect Pearl. They saw Celestite emerge with a splash, watched her regain her wits and summon her weapon again. Then they had to turn away to prevent Amethyst from jumping into the fight. Ruby huffed as the purple quartz struggled against them and nearly knocked the smooth gem from their hands. "Hey! You can't go out there!"

"Why not? That thing hurt Pearl!" Amethyst snarled.

"Pearl knew the risk when she went to help the humans that fell overboard." Sapphire said. "She would be disappointed if she found out you were injured after she worked hard to protect you."

"I didn't ask her to do that!"

"You don't have to!" growled the red gem. "She loves you! You're important to her!"

"Ruby, calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down!"

"We're holding Pearl." Large dark eyes darted to the gem she and Sapphire still held and blushed. "Amethyst, I know you want to help but Pearl would say the same thing. Rose has a plan if Celestite doesn't win."

Amethyst bit her bottom lip, thinking about whether she should listen to her teammates or help her fellow quartz fight. Eventually she made her decision and sat down with a grunt. She wanted to help, and knew Sapphire and Ruby were right. How could she argue with future visions anyway? The sloop rocked with the waves, saltwater spraying them mercilessly. On the ocean Celestite glared at her foe through her drenched curls. Her clear blue eyes had turned as dark as the sea beneath her feet in anger. She knew one more hit would finish her. Baring her teeth she yelled, her battle cry echoing in the dying light of sunset. It was a wild sound of anger and desperation.

The monster focused on her then, circling around as it searched for an opening in her guard. She faced it refusing to show any signs of weakness to it. Each time it struck at her it missed. Her feet moved in a strange fluid dance; her knife slashed and stabbed with a vengeance. She was a warrior. She was a Crystal Gem. She would win. Again and again they blocked, parried, and attacked. Celestite began to tire while a crescent moon rose above them. Dewey's ship had vanished, having been pushing away by the current during the fight. She scowled.

Celestite watched with grim understanding as the corruption swam at her with its mouth open. "I'll finish you next time." She swore, stabbing at it one more time when it bit her. Trapped in its teeth, the lunar gem felt it lift her high above the ocean and toss her high in the air, catching her again before she had a chance to recover. She ignored the pain threatening to overwhelm her and aimed her next attack. Breathing in while closing her eyes, she released it in a slow methodical sigh to steady her hand. Then her grip loosened just the slightest. Opening her eyes she stabbed, the jarring feeling of her blade sinking to the hilt was the only indicator her aim struck true. With an ear-piercing screech, it dropped her. She crashed into the ship's sail, and rolled to the deck. "I'm sorry Rose. It beat me." Celestite retreated to her gem in a mist of light, letting it clatter to the deck.

"No," Rose whispered leaning over to pick it up and let a couple of tears fall on her follower's gem. "You didn't. I think we may need someone stronger than us for this mission," she continued, and ruffled Amethyst's hair, "Someone stronger then Garnet, Sardonyx, Opal, or even Rainbow Quartz." Amethyst looked confused for a moment looking between Rose and her friends as though hoping someone would explain what their leader was talking about.

Ruby blushed, catching on quickly. "You mean…a fusion with all six of us?"

Sapphire smiled. "We'll reform Garnet by then, and Pearl will be back as well." They both stole glances at their other defeated teammate. If the seer saw any hint of failure in their future, she didn't say anything to them. She knew Ruby would confront her about it later, could see the conversation playing across her sight, and smiled. Her other hand reached out, her small smile growing brighter as red finger interlaced with her own blues. "She'll be back soon."

"She better be," Ruby answered with a broad grin. "This plan won't work without her."

"Um, can I…" Amethyst started kicking the floor, her cheeks turning deep purple. "Can I hold her? J-just for a little while?" She looked up at them through her bangs. The shorter couple held Pearl's gem out and placed it softly in her outstretched hands. Tears gathered at the corners of Amethyst's eyes and she rubbed at them with one hand, cradling Pearl to her chest as if it were a fragile bird egg.

"Thanks," she sniffled.

When she'd gone to sit by Rose, Ruby turned to her love knowing the blue half knew what she was going to say. "What's wrong?"

"I can't see a future where this mission succeeds." Sapphire said. Ice crept along the ship beneath her. Ruby hugged her. "Ruby, I can't see us surviving."

"We will. You'll see," came the stubborn answer. "When we form Garnet, she'll see more possibilities, more chances we win without losing each other or Pearl. I'm with you." She kissed one flushed cheek and then the other, trailing kissing across Sapphire's jaw down her neck until she heard the noble gem giggle. They spun around, their bodies glowing brightly and merging into one. Garnet landed on the boat with a laugh that felt out of place with their situation. She sat next to Amethyst, pulling the youngest Crystal Gem across her lap. Futures spread out across her vision, and like her fiery half said she saw more positive outcomes.


	5. Chapter 5

**I am sooo sorry it took so long to update. Between work and vacation, I hadn't much time to write. Thank you very much for your patience.**

When Pearl reformed, the first thing she did was look for Amethyst. Her hands hovered over her friend's hair, looking all over her. Once she felt absolutely certain the shorter girl was unharmed, she hugged her, burying her face in Amethyst's white hair. The shorter Gem wrapped her arms around Pearl's shoulders and nuzzled the older Gem's neck. She loved feeling important to her favorite gem. It made her smile to know the person who had found her cared enough to protect her, and seek her out after reforming. "I'm glad you're back, Pearl. I missed you."

The white knight smiled softly, running her fingers through her friend's mane. Affection filled her expression as she kissed Amethyst's forehead. _I'm so glad you're alright._ She looked around and noticed for the first time that Celestite was missing. Confused, she turned to Garnet who nodded discreetly at Rose. _How? She hasn't needed to retreat to her gem since the war._

"She fought the corruption after we got back to the ship," the stoic fusion said. "Ruby and Sapphire helped, but they had to stop Amethyst from jumping back into the fight." This caught Pearl's attention. Wide pastel blue eyes stared at Garnet with an intensity that her wife hadn't seen since she met her. The stare pierced through Garnet's shades.

 _Did it get you too?_

"No."

"Garnet." The whisper was spoken with equal parts concern and warning. "No?"

"I... Ruby and Sapphire fell apart. I felt guilty I couldn't save you when you called for me," Garnet admitted. She could see Amethyst and Rose watching them. "I didn't see it in time."

Pearl stood adjusting her grip on Amethyst and walked over to her mate. "No."

Confused, Garnet frowned. Her expression didn't seem to change to anyone else but Pearl, who noticed the change instantly. "No, Garnet." _Don't fall apart over that, do you understand? Even if I get hurt like that again, stay together._ She realized she still held Amethyst, and she readjusted her to rest on her hip. The younger Gem sensed her idol wanted her hands free. Shapeshifting into a parrot, she settled on Pearl's shoulder and closed her eyes as one slender hand reached up to stroke her feathers. Then her idol gestured to Rose indicating she wanted to speak to Garnet alone.

The knight took her wife's larger hands, her thumbs stroking the gems embedded in Garnet's palms. Although she didn't explain it, Garnet knew her mate was thinking of Ruby and Sapphire. Her eyes widened behind her lenses as the hands holding hers lifted them to Pearl's lips. Both gems glowed in response before dimming again. The magenta fusion understood then: the alabaster Gem had been speaking to her friends, not just to her. "We'll try," she heard herself say.

Satisfied, Pearl wrapped her arms around Garnet's neck and kissed her. Garnet pulled her closer kissing her putting all her relief and love into it. A tiny moan escaped the slender gem, the small sound pleasantly surprising the fusion gem. The sultry look Pearl gave her when she pulled away promised they would continue what they started later. After a minute, Pearl turned to Rose admiration and reverence shining in her eyes. _What do we do now?_

"We wait for Celestite to reform," Rose answered, "Then we fuse, defeat this corruption, and bubble it." Hearing it put so simply told her lieutenant that her plan depended on everyone agreeing to fuse. The hidden question made the knight's doubts and fears resurface and her hands grabbed at the fabric of her shirt, twisting and worrying the material as she battled her own treacherous thoughts. Soft warmth surrounded her. She was aware of someone stroking her hair, heard distantly a sweet voice whispering words of reassurance in her ear, but it seemed distant. Long moments passed before Pearl calmed down enough to realize it was Rose holding her. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to, my sweet Pearl. We'll understand and respect your choice."

Those words calmed the white gem more than anything else Rose could have said. Feeling better, Pearl stepped back and wiped her eyes. Looking at Celestite's gem, she wondered how long it would be until she returned. Amethyst appeared next to her, her face a mix of excitement and nervousness. "Uh, Pearl? Have you ever done a fusion with more than one gem?"

 _Technically yes,_ she answered. _Every time I fuse with Garnet._ She winked at her younger teammate who blushed. _Amethyst?_

"Yeah?"

"Le…ss…few…suh." Pearl's long nose scrunched in disapproval, but Amethyst knew it was over the way her words came out. Still her eyes lit up at hearing her idol talk to her. She had begun to understand why everyone missed the sound, and why Garnet ran away with her whenever she made the tiniest sound. Her mind finally caught up to what Pearl said. A wide grin spread across her face, and she tackled her mentor with a hug. A soft, gentle sound caught her attention and drew her gaze toward it. She glanced at Garnet who grinned and lowered her glasses to wink at her. Amethyst looked back at Pearl. The slender knight kept giggling, unaware Garnet, Amethyst, and Rose could hear her.

Opening her eyes, Pearl noticed them looking at her with bright smiles; Rose looked like she was going to cry from sheer happiness. _W-What's going on?_

Her mate shook her head. "We're just appreciating your progress, love."

 _Oh, well, thank you. It doesn't seem like I have, but if you say so…_ Pearl said. Despite her dismissive words her cheek still turned blue. She smiled. Hearing her mate acknowledge that she had gotten better at speaking verbally even if it sounded odd boosted the silent gem's confidence. Someone tugged impatiently at her hand. Amethyst tugged again.

"Are we still going to fuse?" She asked pouting. Pearl nodded, her gem starting to glow. Their dance was shorter and simpler this time. Pearl's foot caught on her dance partner's, knocking her off balance. Short arms caught her before she hit the deck. Amethyst grinned sheepishly at her and laughed when she noticed the taller gem's silent giggles. Their gems glowed brightly now, the light distracting everyone from noticing Celestite reforming next to Rose. When it faded, Opal stood before them studying her hands while Celestite raised an eyebrow at her.

When the fusion finally looked up, she blinked owlishly at the lunar quartz. "Hello, Celestite."

"Hello, Opal. I see Pearl reformed faster this time." The warrior winked. One shoulder lifted and dropped in graceful nonchalance as she added, "Maybe next time. What have I missed?" Rose stepped forward to tell her their plan. Opal fell apart suddenly, Amethyst running to the older quartzes while Pearl moved to lean on her wife. She half-listened to the discussion. She wouldn't tell Amethyst, but fusing with her took a lot out of her.

The silence surrounding Pearl alarmed Garnet. Even mute she was talkative. It was worrying to notice the change in the other's mood, and the longer it went the more concerned the fusion grew. She turned to her wife, and found Pearl resting with her eyes closed and a weary half-smile on her lips. Pearl's pale cheeks burned under the scrutiny. _I'm okay, Garnet. Fusing just took more energy this time, but I'll be ready by the time we catch up to it._ One sky blue eye opened to stare lovingly at her taller mate. Satisfied that Pearl could still tell what bothered her and address it openly, Garnet hummed and pulled her wife closer. Her chin came to rest on her mate's soft pink hair.

Now they had to track down the corruption again, but this time Celestite and Pearl made an unspoken promise to end the fight once and for all.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again! I just want to take a moment to thank all my readers. Your support means more to me than I have words to express it. I love you all! :D**

Despite the fights Pearl and Celestite were known to have with each other, they had no difficulties fusing. It felt natural when they danced. It came from knowing what they were: a warrior and a knight. Even now, dancing with Garnet, Amethyst, and Rose Quartz, the two pale Gems moved seamlessly in their part. Part of the plan to defeat the corrupted gem was to fuse before they got too close to it, and then sail the sloop back after the battle. Of course, that plan went up in smoke the instant Rose had noticed it was attacking a human ship.

Here they were now, one giant fusion stretching towards the sky. The new fusion rolled its shoulders and flexed their hands. Four glowing blue eyes watched the monster it meant to fight from under the stone mask resting on its forehead. Her first step towards her opponent felt strange. A pang of sympathy came from within. Was it two or one that provided it? Three, another part murmured under the surface. It took a moment before her name came to her. She was Corundum.

Flexing her hands again, she paused to look at herself. Eight arms led her eyes down to her hands where she noticed two had gems embedded in the palms. The names Ruby, Sapphire, and Garnet connected to them but meant nothing to her. One hand went to the gem at her stomach, another to the one at her chest while a third one rose to touch the gem resting between her collar bones. A fourth hand brushed the one in the middle of her forehead. Long silvery red hair cascaded down her back, offset by the pale lavender color of her skin. Water crashed against her hips. I'm a giant, she thought excitedly. She looked again at the corruption. From deep within she felt a surge of anger, a drive to destroy it. This instinct was tempered by the need to protect the humans and a belief that all life was precious.

Shaking her head, Corundum banished the thoughts. While she had a variety of weapons she could choose from, individually and combined, she decided to use her hands for this fight. A few steps closed the distance between it and her. Before she could touch her enemy it noticed her presence, slinking under the water and around her legs. It bumped against her, nudging her backwards and then swam out of range whenever she moved to strike back. A frustrated screech shook the air as she slashed at the water again. She took a moment to calm down.

Corundum searched through all the memories her components' had of fighting this monster. She sought out the earliest ones first, drew courage from Pearl's and insight from Garnet's. Then she called forth Celestite's experience, all of her fury and excitement, and strength. A second flood of memories unrelated to this fight demanded her attention: fight at sea much like this one, against a different enemy, and the strategy that won it. Suddenly she knew what she had to do to win this fight. It wouldn't be easy. She would have to adapt it to suit her height and abilities. Kneeling, she set four of her hands on the ocean floor and raised the others in preparation. Timing was essential to this plan.

The corruption darted around her, biting and swimming away in repetitive strikes. She waited. It went to attack the humans' ship. Dissatisfied with the sinking vessel, the corrupted gem redirected its attention back to Corundum sitting peacefully in wait. Patience, she told herself. You don't have a partner to rely on or a ship full of humans ready to fight. It doesn't have to ability to destabilize you. It swims well, but you have strength and speed.

She watched her enemy swim closer.

Her fingers wanted to twitch. She held them still. It came closer.

It took all her self-control not to move and give her plan away. Almost in reach, it opened its mouth to reveal the very teeth which had been the cause of reformation for two of the fiercest parts of her. She could feel their anger, their want to show this powerful foe that they were stronger, and that fueled her. The patience, calm, and eagerness balanced it out.

Now! The cry rang throughout her consciousness. A reflex she didn't know she had snatched the monster in her hands out of the water, flinging it high into the air. She summoned a spear, long sword, and knife. In a flash of light the three weapons combined, a massive halberd taking their place. Corundum was surprised at the heaviness of the weapon despite being made of light. It moved easily in her hands, swinging in an arc to catch her enemy with the spike of the blade. The monster hissed and twisted and snapped at her. She narrowed her eyes at it, pulled her halberd free and slashed again. She hit it with the axe-blade this time. Again and again she attacked each time hitting before it could retaliate. The words formed on her lips; two voices speaking loudly through her as one. "We win."

The corruption's screech abruptly silenced as the halberd's blade split it in two. A mist of light clouded the area. One large hand deftly plucked a gem from mid-air and bubbled it. "We won." Corundum sent the bubble back to the temple. A soft whisper in the back of her mind reminded her of the ships drifting in the currents. Lifting both from the water, Corundum walked back to the temple and set the boats on the shore. The human stumbled on the sand. He tilted his head back to stare at her in awe. She fought the sudden urge to giggle at him when he fell to the ground to kiss it. Wiping his mouth in disgust, William Dewey stood up. "Thank you, giant woman."

"You may not want to stay here. This land is dangerous." She replied.

He shook his head. "No. I will stay here. I am William Dewey and I don't give up in the face of failure." He glanced at his ship. "I doubt I could leave if I wanted to with my ship as damaged as it is."

"Very well. I can't promise I won't interfere again." Corundum said.

"If only Buddy could be here. Oh Buddy, you were a salty biscuit to the end. I shall name my new city after you…" A wave crashed along the beach, washing a body ashore. The body moved, coughing and sputtering. Both William and Corundum stared at it until the person rose unsteadily to their feet.

"I'm alive." The younger man said in disbelief.

"Buddy!" exclaimed William. "I'm glad to see you. I shall call my town Beach City!"

Corundum felt her separate parts pulling apart. Five Gems fell away, and William recognized three of them. Pearl leaned against Garnet looking exhausted as she let the taller woman support her. The thought of their first meeting made him feel uneasy. He'd accidentally offended her, and he knew she didn't like him but however much he wanted to, he knew he should wait until she was rested. It amazed him that the giant woman had actually been the group of women who had warned him about the danger he'd faced. Looking at Pearl, William Dewey made the decision to get to know her better.


	7. Chapter 7

**Again, disclaimers are in the first chapter.**

Pearl inspected the wooden pole carefully measuring and then measuring it again. Satisfied, she nodded to Amethyst. As the purple girl carried it to the stack of other poles, the alabaster Gem watched her mate bring another one over for inspection. It had been a whole week before Pearl fully recovered. Another week passed before she suggested they build a pier for the sloop, outlining the benefits of having one. Now they were working on it with the help of the humans. William more often than not failed to be of any real help, but the knight couldn't begrudge him for trying. He and his first mate were cutting the wood for the project. "This is the last one," Garnet said lowering the pole.

 _Thank you. How are they doing?_

"They'll have the beams ready to measure soon." Pearl smiled at her. "Pearl."

"Yes, Garnet?" Garnet grinned, feeling bigger just hearing her name in her wife's voice, and kissed her. She meant for it to be just a quick peck, but Pearl's hands tugged her back for more. They kept it light, pressing gentle kisses to each other's lips before resting their foreheads together. "I love you, Garnet."

"I love you, too." Her mate murmured. "There's a meteor shower tonight. I thought we could watch it together. If you want," she added. A pale thumb brushed over her burning cheek.

"I…w-wou…ld…like…ve…ry…mu…ch." This time the satisfaction of saying a longer sentence outweighed her frustration. She'd been practicing whenever she had a chance. Blue eyes glanced at her wife's face. Garnet stood there, hands pressed together in front of her brilliant grin. The expression of pure happiness radiating from the person she loved most eased the pale gem's anxieties. She mirrored the smile, her confidence stronger now. Someone coughed to the side, and Pearl turned to the interruption. William stood there staring nervously at the ground.

He shuffled his feet. "I, ah, we wanted to let you know we're taking a break to eat. You really have a hard time talking, don't you? It sounds terrible." Even as the words left his mouth, he knew he'd said the wrong thing. Pearl tensed, glaring at him as if he were the lowliest creature on earth. Garnet scowled, her face showing her displeasure at his thoughtlessness. Before he could utter an apology the couple left, the taller following her partner back to the strange cave they lived in. Will kicked the ground sending a spray of sand in the air. "Stupid. That's a great way to make friends, William."

Amethyst looked from him to the temple and back, fighting over whether to check on Pearl or yell at Dewey. Glancing at the temple she shrugged. Garnet would take care of it. "You shouldn't tease her about how she talks." She said, eating something that didn't look edible.

"I know," he groaned. "I didn't think before I spoke. How long has she been mute?" He grimaced. "That was inappropriate, I'm sorry."

She shrugged. "Around four thousand years. She was mute when she found me."

He coughed, sputtering some excuse about how Pearl _couldn't_ be over twenty, which made the purple Gem laugh. "Is she really?"

"Yeah. Rose said she used to talk a lot, and even sing." Amethyst pouted. "I'd never heard her speak for over two thousand years. You better not have caused her to stop." She punched her open palm to emphasize the threat behind her last comment. William swallowed visibly. The intense stare the girl was giving him made him nervous.

"I understand. Do you know when they'll be back?" He asked, scratching the back of his neck. He glanced back at the temple. A loud growl interrupted before Amethyst could answer, and he chuckled. Embarrassed he left to find what food he could, Amethyst's laughter ringing behind him.

Pearl paced around the fountains in her room alternating between outbursts of angry, humiliated ranting and worrying the hem of her shirt in insecure silence. She knew Garnet had followed her and didn't think she was pathetic or that her speech sounded wrong. Deep down, the knight knew she wasn't and that she had a long way to go before she could talk like she had in the past. The human's words cut deep though. _I'm trying._ Tears trailed down her cheeks as she looked to Garnet.

Not a word or sign was needed. Crossing the short distance between them, the taller Gem wrapped her arms around her wife. It hurt to feel each shudder that shook the tiny body clinging to her with every sob. She was careful not to show how angry she was to Pearl; she would think Garnet was mad at her when she wasn't. She felt this way because it seemed so unfair. After all this time, after all the white gem's efforts to speak a full sentence, just a few words from a human who didn't know anything about them reduced Pearl to tears.

"I thought you sounded amazing," Garnet suddenly said, shocking them both. Pushing aside the shock she continued. "I always do. Think you sound wonderful, I mean. You work hard to talk. It means a lot when you say my name, and when you call Amethyst's even though it tires you. We're proud of you."

 _I thought I did, too. But even that human boy noticed how pathetic I sounded._

"You did not sound pathetic!" Garnet shouted. Pearl looked scared, and she took a breath to calm herself. "You never could. It took a lot of strength to tell me your answer instead of signing it. He doesn't know you yet—we do. It'll get better. Take your time, Pearl. We're here for you. I'm here for you, no matter what." With her thumb, she wiped away the remaining tears. She watched Pearl slowly understand what she meant, saw when she began to believe her and the way she stood a little taller.

 _What if I never talk again, not as well as I used to?_ Pearl asked. Insecurity haunted her expression. _What if the only thing I can say are yours and Amethyst's names, yes, or no? Rose's name?_

The fusion leaned down, her lips brushing the smooth surface of her mate's gem. "I will still love you, and cherish every sound you gift us." The knight nodded, holding Garnet close until she felt ready to leave the safety of her room. They left the temple with Pearl's arm wrapped around her wife's. William stopped sawing the log he was helping cut when he saw them. He ran over, wiping sweat from his brow before speaking, his regretful expression catching the silent gem's attention.

"Miss Pearl? I'm sorry about what I said. It was wrong, and I'll do my best to be more considerate from now on. Please forgive me." He forced himself to not to fidget under the intense stare she gave him. Had time slowed down? After a long time had passed (or had only seconds passed?), Pearl waved for his attention. She signed her acceptance for his apology and her forgiveness. Rose walked past with several support posts in her arms.

"Should I set these with the others on the beach?" she asked. Pearl nodded, kissing Garnet's cheek as she went to help with her project. The pier she planned wouldn't build itself. Sending a smile to Amethyst the alabaster dancer joined Celestite on the beach to discuss the best way to set up the posts.


	8. Chapter 8

**It's been a little crazy lately, so here's a slightly longer chapter. :)**

"Like this?" Celestite asked holding one of the posts for the pier over the water. She glided on the water waiting for Pearl's verdict. The silent dancer pursed her lips in thought. The smaller white gem stood perched on the previous support column scrutinizing the distance between it and the one Celestite held. The distance between the two posts was less than the space between those already in place. Baby blues eyes glanced at the parallel set next to them. The next one had to be lined up with the post next to it. Her hand signaled to move it a little further until Pearl told her to stop. "Here?"

 _Yes, thank you._ Pearl smiled watching as her mate came over to punch the column into the ground, anchoring it securely. The three moved on to the next post and the next after that until all of the columns were in place. Grinning widely the trio returned to shore. Celestite skated across the water's surface reminding Garnet of a beetle she' seen doing the same thing. The magenta gem swam at a leisurely pace. It gave her plenty of opportunities to watch the agile figure dancing across the posts on the way to shore. The sun had dipped lower in the sky but they still some time before the stars made their appearance. Caught up in her thoughts, Garnet hadn't realized she'd finished the short trip back to the beach and now lay in the sand on her back.

A shadow moved across her face, Pearl's wide eyes and soft smile replacing her view of the sky. _What were you thinking about?_ She mouthed, plucking a small crab out of her wife's hair. It skittered away when she set it on the sand. She dusted some sand off Garnet's cheeks, her smile growing fondly exasperated when it wouldn't go away completely.

"Was thinkin' about you and stars," the tallest of the pair murmured as those soft hands moved to comb sand out of her hair. A futile attempt with her still lying down in it, but a gesture Garnet still appreciated. Wrapping her arm around Pearl's waist she pulled her down with her, being careful to guide her wife to rest on her stomach and chest. After the shock of the sudden move passed the alabaster gem relaxed. It wouldn't be long before Amethyst showered them with sand, or would be caught by their friends before she could get close enough. Pearl twisted, her fingers sifting through the sand for shells or bits of sea glass. This reminded Garnet of the times she would find Pearl digging through the battlefields for gem shards to bubble.

The last time Pearl had gone she'd returned with a troubled expression, her brow furrowed in confusion. All the shards she hadn't retrieved were gone. Their disappearance worried them all, until Rose mentioned they might have been buried deeper than usual with recent rains and a few earthquakes loosening the ground in the area. The other Gems accepted the possibility, but every now and then Garnet would find Pearl worrying about it as much as she did.

"Garnet." Pearl whispered. Her partner had gone quieter than usual. Leaning on her elbows, Pearl looked at her mate. Whatever she thought about now had made her frown. She traced her fingers down Garnet's jaw hoping to pull her from her thoughts. When that didn't work, Pearl raised an eyebrow. "Garnet," she whispered again before brushing her lips over Garnet's full ones.

"Hmm." The fusion smiled into the kiss. She could feel her wife giggling as the dancer pulled back. The concern in those lovely blues faded but Garnet could still see it. "It's alright. I was remembering how you'd spend days searching for gem shards. May I have another kiss?" The brilliant blue that colored Pearl's cheeks encouraged her, led her to steal a quick kiss from her slender wife. The alabaster gem rolled her eyes affectionately as she leaned in for another.

Sand sprayed over them. Any other time Garnet would have laughed at the indignant expression Pearl wore. It the moment she knew it would only further irritate the knight rising to her feet to brush the sand off while glaring at the interruption. To her credit, Amethyst sat unaffected laughing loudly at her idol's obvious disgust. As she calmed down she noticed the knight stalking over to the ocean. The shapeshifter couldn't see what she was doing, but she was certain whatever it was she wouldn't like it. She glanced nervously at Garnet. The fusion looked impassive. Amethyst glanced back at Pearl, who turned and started walking over to them.

"Careful," Garnet said.

 _Of course,_ Pearl answered. Everything about the exchange screamed at Amethyst to run, but she sat frozen while Pearl kneeled in front of her with a saccharine smile. Her hands held something over Amethyst's hair. _Amethyst, it's time for your bath._ Without further warning she dismissed the bubble she held, dumping seawater onto her favorite little trickster. The purple gem yelped. She tried to tell herself it was just water when Garnet tapped her shoulder. Instantly her hair fluffed out as the tiny spark shocked her. _Let's finish building the pier's supports. We can finish it tomorrow if…ah…the humans continue helping us._

William and Buddy watched the interaction in awe. The captain hadn't known what to think of Pearl at first. He knew she didn't feel comfortable around humans and only mingled with them on her own terms. The other gems were easier to understand. Amethyst reminded him of the children he used to play with growing up. He thought Celestite came across as distant until he saw her play wrestling with Amethyst one time. It wasn't clear whether Rose actually liked them or found them amusing, but William soon realized she loved everything about the world around them. Garnet kept to herself mostly. He respected that. Pearl, however, he had no clue how to approach her. Every time he tried, he said the wrong thing.

The downcast look on the human man's face confused Pearl. She gave Celestite directions on how to attach the support beams to the columns, her gem showing a projection to show what she meant. The lunar quartz smirked, lifting the beams and moving to the farthest set of posts. Rose asked a couple more questions about the way Pearl wanted it before joining Celestite while Garnet kept Amethyst entertained. Seeing that the two eldest quartzes had the pier construction under control, she decided to talk to William.

Buddy nudged his friend, nodding at the Gem walking over to them. He didn't think Pearl would talk to them. "Hello, Miss Pearl."

 _Hello, ah…_ She honestly didn't remember his name. Her face told him she didn't know his name, but William didn't take offense.

"It's William," he offered.

Pearl nodded. She paused, unsure of what to say. If he understood sign language this would be much easier. He waited for her to continue. After several minutes passed, he got an idea. If she didn't feel comfortable talking to him and he didn't understand her hand signs, he could read what she wrote. The sand was soft enough to work write in if he smoothed out an area first. He knew without looking that Buddy and Pearl followed him.

Using his hands, William began smoothing the sand until he created a large even area. He looked around for a long stick Pearl could use. All the while he could feel her watching him, and he hoped she didn't think his idea was primitive. He gave her the stick when he found one. "I thought since talking is…hard for you, you could write instead."

The knight blinked owlishly at William. What he'd said earlier hurt, and she hadn't expected him to be this thoughtful. Her fingers curled around the stick. In neat, meticulous letters she wrote her answer. 'Thank you. You looked sad before.'

He chuckled. "I'm a bit homesick. Although I'm glad I'm not called a dunce here."

'I understand being homesick. I miss mine too, sometimes.' She didn't elaborate where she was from or what her life was like back there and Will didn't pry. He asked questions about her teammates and what fighting monsters felt like. They talked until the sun began setting. Pearl left to inspect the support beams on the pier. Garnet was waiting for her there, giving her a smile. "Garnet."

"Pearl," her mate answered. "How'd his idea work out?"

 _Very well for such primitive materials._ Her smile took the softened the harshness of her words. Garnet dared to glimpse at what the future held for her wife. What she saw surprised her. There were many futures where they became friends. Unfortunately her distraction made her stumble. Pearl raised an eyebrow, and her coy smile teased her even as she continued walking as if nothing happened.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello~! So I kind of got caught in the excitement of Pearlnet Bomb and the new episodes... anyways, I'm back with the latest chapter of WWiS, which I'll be juggling with Awake at 3:17 AM.**

The lower branches swayed in the evening breeze, an occasional petal breaking free and drifting to the ground in a mesmerizing dance choreographed by the very wind that held it aloft. Crickets chirped with the singing cicadas. As the sky darkened to a deep indigo, the two figures sitting under the tree watched fireflies emerge one by one. Their presence nearly alarmed the shorter figure when they began to land on her arms. One dared to linger briefly on the tip of her.

Her partner laughed at the scene. Her wife looked adorable staring at the glowing insect with round crossed eyes; her cheeks flushed light blue as she tried to mentally will the bug away. When it didn't move she glanced at Garnet wordlessly asking her to make it leave. The magenta Gem gently nudged it to fly away. It returned shortly after to land on Pearl's shoulder, its little wings fluttering shut. "Looks like you've made a friend."

 _I honestly don't understand why,_ Pearl signed. She didn't try to bother it though, her hand reaching up to lightly stroke the beetle's back. This was a side she didn't often show. _He's a little cute._

Garnet smiled content to watch her wife interact with her new friend. For all her dislikes of humans and dirt, the knight relaxed more around Earth's various life forms. "He is. You're much cuter." The brilliant blush was easy to see with Pearl's complexion even in the dark. Pearl's gem glowed and she smiled the small, soft smile she saved just for Garnet. Leaning closer the pale warrior kissed her cheek earning an equally fierce blush from the taller Gem. The firefly's thorax lit and dimmed on the pallid shoulder it rested on, opened its wings and flew off. Pearl watched a bit sadly, resting her head on her mate's shoulder. She lifted her chin to look at Garnet.

One hand rose to cover her mouth, but her shaking shoulders gave her away as she silently giggled into her palm. She looked up again only to giggle more at the incredible sight. Dozens of fireflies were caught in Garnet's curly hair, the trapped bugs flashing urgently to be freed. _How do you always manage to get something caught in your hair? Hold still._ Her nimble finger began working to free the insects, patiently working not to harm them. The way she leaned on Garnet made the fusion feel warmer. A glance at the futures before them, the hot pink fighter felt herself smirking.

Pearl gasped as strong hands drifted up her thighs, slowing briefly at her hips before resting at her waist. Soft lips pressed a line of kissed along Pearl's neck distracting her from her task. She focused on freeing the last two bugs in hopes it wouldn't take long. Her fingers shook as she worked until finally she'd released the last tiny captive and she could let her hands entangle in the curls instead. The respective heat and cold from Garnet's gems left trails of static in their wake and drew a soft moan from the mute dancer.

Garnet pulled back, all three eyes staring lovingly at the flustered pearl in her lap. The fingers in her hair tightened, insistent hands tugging her in for a hungry kiss. "I love you." Her voice sounded lower than it normally did, barely a whisper, yet it made her wife want to hear it again. As if she could read her mind Pearl leaned forward and repeated her words. "I love you, Garnet."

"I love you, too." Garnet whispered back. "We'll miss the meteor shower if we continue this."

 _And if we do?_ Pearl asked tracing her mate's glasses with a finger, her other hand still buried in the thick mass of hair. _When will it show again?_ She wasn't too concerned about it but she knew her mate wanted to watch it with her. They had plenty of time for other activities. Garnet removed a hand from her waist to readjust her shades. The loss of contact left the spot feeling cold. Baby blues took a peek at which hand it was; the familiar cut of Sapphire's gem glinted faintly in the moonlight. That explained why her side felt like it was freezing.

"Two hundred years." Garnet murmured, pressing a kiss to the smooth stone in Pearl's forehead. The future changed slightly shifting to a calmer night. Above them the first meteor streaked across the sky in a too-brief flash of light. Pearl looked up, her eyes reflecting the stars. The knight tilted her head back for a better view. Another comet burned across the sky. The stars were Pearl's favorite thing to look at. She leaned further back trusting her partner to keep her from falling. Garnet supported her back without thought, watching Pearl watch the light show above them.

 _Sometimes I wish I could see it again._ Pearl signed in what the taller gem recognized as the way she sometimes said her thoughts aloud. _I miss it. Travelling the stars, exploring galaxy systems… Oh, but that doesn't mean I want to leave. Earth is my home…with Garnet and Amethyst, and Celestite though she can be a bit irritating, and Rose…_ The fusion smiled. _It's beautiful._ Garnet turned her gaze to the sky then. It was beautiful. The streaks of light were more and more frequent now.

"It is," she agreed. Part of her wanted to ask the question burning in her mind but part of her was afraid to learn the answer. "Would you go back?"

"No." Her answer was stated with such fierce dedication it left no room for doubt. Pearl's lips moved, strangled half-sounds coming from her chest, and her expression twisted into a mask of self-loathing long enough to worry her companion. The alabaster gem sighed. _I would never go back to that life. Sometimes I just want to see what everyone's doing without me. It's silly._

Garnet shook her head. "It's not."

Pearl blinked owlishly at her, a tenuous smile on her lips growing wider and brighter the longer she stared. Soundless laughter escaped her.

"Pearl? What's so funny?" One slender finger rose to point at her hair, where another firefly had gotten itself caught. Delicately, meticulously, she untangled the small beetle noting with pleasant surprise that it was the same one that had landed on her nose earlier that night. Her wife must have been thinking the same thing because she placed a quick peck on the tip of her nose.


	10. Chapter 10

**It's 2:45 in the morning here, so I'm just gonna leave this here.**

It rained the next morning, the wind sending stinging gusts of water at the group actively working to protect the materials from the storm, the metal materials in particular. No one wanted those to corrode. The waves made working on the pier itself impractical. As it was, Rose suggested they help William and Buddy build their houses and plan their town. He looked nervously at Garnet who stood impassively next to her wife. He still blushed whenever he saw her but the lofty glares her shorter partner sent him scared him. He liked to think she was beginning to warm up to him. He saw her leaning up out of the corner of his eye, her arm stretching to reach something above the statuesque woman. When her hand pulled back, she had a strange purple mouse sitting in her palm.

The way her lips moved as though speaking still confused him. She rarely uttered a sound yet all of her friends appeared to understand her clearly, whether it was lip-reading, sign language, or the strange way the stone in her forehead lit up to show pictures in the eerie blue light. The mouse said something in return to which Pearl raised an eyebrow. They both looked to Rose's smiling face before Pearl sighed and nodded.

"Do you wonder if we'll ever understand any of this?" Buddy asked.

Will thought about it for a moment. "Yes, I do. We won't know if we don't try, though." Buddy gave him an admiring grin. His captain's perseverance was what led him to follow the man despite his many failures. "For now, let's help them build the pier. Then we can start on building Beach City."

"Will," his first mate started, "How are people going to know about this place? We're the only two here."

"They'll know," answered a baritone voice. Garnet smiled enigmatically at the two men. "Rose, Amethyst, and Pearl will help."

"Not you or Celestite?" She didn't answer that question.

"Pearl, we have a mission." The pink-haired dancer grinned moving quickly to the warp pad.

Rose stopped the fusion as she went to join her mate. "Be careful."

"We will," she promised.

The warp pad hummed as it glowed. Pearl and Garnet stepped off the dais; the latter's hands moved in rapid succession. Her mysterious partner followed her to the temple door holding strange translucent bubbles over her palms. Will couldn't be certain, but he thought he saw crystals inside them. He shook his head and went back to carefully laying out the wooden planks that made up the walkway of Pearl's Pier as he called it. He hammered the boards into place, the metal ringing each the nails deeper into the wood. A shadow fell across his work space and he looked up.

Pearl held his canteen out. He took it surprised to find cool water inside instead of the tepid liquid he filled it with last. She smiled, kneeling next to him to inspect the work he'd done. It took him all morning to do it alone and he'd still gotten halfway finished before they returned. He didn't know where Rose Quartz and Amethyst went, and knew only that Celestite left using the strange platform. Buddy wanted to go fishing, and Will wasn't going to stop his friend from enjoying his favorite hobby. "Thank you, Miss Pearl."

She gestured around them, raising an eyebrow. He furrowed his brow for a minute before her meaning became clear. "They're all gone except for you, me, and Miss Garnet. The other Gems left on the glowing stone and Buddy's gone fishing."

A finger pointed it him, and then to the finished portion of the pier. He chuckled nervously. "Yes, I did. Did I…do it right?"

She nodded, resuming her inspection and finding nothing out of place. The human had done a surprisingly good job despite his blunders in all other areas. She had no complaints about his work. It appeared he didn't know his own skill, if the way he sweated heavily waiting for her response. That could also be the heat, she mused remembering humans felt the Earth's temperatures more than Gems. She smiled wider at him, nodding her approval.

Holding out her hand, Pearl nodded in the direction of the temple entryway. He accepted, standing easily and following her to the shaded area. Will nearly fell when he realized her understood her hand signs this time. He did trip when the realization that she'd only used simple signs for his sake. "Miss Pearl? Not that I mind, but shouldn't we be working on your pier?"

A series of quick tugs pulled him onto the dais. "Miss Pearl?"

With nary a word, she activated the warp. Will yelped as they were surrounded by blue light. His body felt lighter. The weightless feeling shocked him, and he struggled to feel the ground beneath his feet. When that failed, he panicked. Pearl rolled her eyes and put a restraining hand on his shoulder with a firm look. Her lips moved slowly to give the human time to read them. _Calm down. You'll hurt yourself._ He gulped, his eyes darting all around. He could trust her. He had to trust she'd keep him from trouble. Slowly his breath evened out, allowing him to think rationally. Pearl had brought him along. She calmed him when he freaked out. Now she was maintaining contact despite her own discomfort.

Will took another deep breath. He relaxed and let her know he felt better. His mute companion gave him a grin. She squeezed his arm, and then his feet touched solid ground. "What was that? Where are we?" The landscape looked totally unfamiliar to him. Tall thickets of reed-like plant with long narrow leaves towered over them, some as wide as his hand. They were so dense he couldn't see past them. Fallen leaves muted his steps as he walked around the clearing in wonder. Pearl sat on the warp pad and watched him while keeping an eye out for danger, aware that pandas were only pleasant from a distance. The territorial beings did not like threats to their food source and her fragile human acquaintance would definitely be seen as a threat.

Soon after, she led him to a town nearby. Will felt a little envious of the way Pearl interacted with the people here. She had even changed her clothes to match the style here. She waved at him and beckoned him over, offering him a bowl with a spoon. His eyebrows shot upwards. Everything he'd learned about her told him she didn't like eating at all. In fact, most of the time food was mentioned she looked disgusted. He brought a spoonful to his lips and saw Pearl do the same. She looked graceful all of the time so it shouldn't have been new to him that she would eat elegantly as well.

The moment he took his first sip he understood why she brought him to this foreign place. "How do you say 'thank you'?" He asked the knight. She set aside her empty bowl and raised her hands interlocks at the tips. He copied the way she did it, moving his fingers in a circle. The townsfolk around them smiled and nodded. Pearl talked with many of them as if she knew them well. It wasn't long before she realized she should take Will back to the beach, saying her farewells quickly with promises to return with Garnet, and led him back to the warp pad.

"Where are we?" Will asked again, this time more out of curiosity than worry.

"Ch…na…" Pearl managed.

Will froze. They were in China. Pearl knew people in China and like them. Taking a few long strides to catch up with her, he realized how important it was that she had shared this with him. He grinned. Catching her attention by calling her name, Will brought his hands up exactly as she showed him and signed, _Thank you._


	11. Chapter 11

**I am terribly sorry about how long it's taken to update. Thank you all for your patience.**

Over the next week Pearl and Celestite left on a mission to track down several corrupted gems in the area leaving the pier to the rest of the Crystal Gems and the humans. Will didn't mind, and told the Gems he'd work on it while they were gone, much to Rose's surprise. She joined him while he worked fascinated by his determination to see it through to the end. His infatuation with Garnet had faded slightly and he was secretly glad for that. The sun warmed his back as he worked, almost uncomfortably so, and he stopped for a moment to check his progress. According to the star's position to the sky he figured it was well after noon. When he looked around, he noticed the two absent Gems hadn't yet returned.

"How long do these missions usually take?" He asked wiping sweat from his brow. Amethyst shrugged, looking to Rose for an answer.

"It depends. Usually they're back by now." She stole a worried glance at the forest. "Garnet, do you see them?" She asked moving closer to the seer. Unreadable as ever, Garnet adjusted her glasses as she searched through the possible futures. In some Pearl and Celestite returned without a problem, in others they endured a few light scratches. No matter which vision, they were fighting a powerful corruption and wouldn't return soon.

She refocused on the present. "There're more than they thought, but they'll be fine."

Relief washed through her leader, a smile brightening her darkened expression.

Celestite growled. The lunar quartz lifted her knife to block a swipe from another attack. When she'd sensed the corrupted gems' presence before she hadn't thought there'd be a swarm of them. She could tell Pearl was having difficulty as well by the irritated huffs coming from the alabaster gem; her fight wasn't going much better than her companion's and her physical form looked battered. As much as it hurt her pride to do, Celestite ran towards Pearl. Picking up the slender swords master, the quart retreated. They would go back to the temple where she could find Rose and take care of the corruptions with their leader without putting Pearl at risk. While fusing with Pearl could easily handle end their mission, neither Gem would. Aragonite was a terrible fusion whose bloodlust always led to both of them dissipating their forms just to separate. They'd only formed her twice under extreme desperate circumstances. This was not dangerous enough for her.

The woods around them blurred, warped by the speed Celestite used to escape. Pearl understood, and let her carry her away. Instead she focused on drawing a mental map of the area to show to Rose, carefully plotting each stream, creek, cave, and other distinguishable landmark they'd found. It took her all of the return trip to finish, and she was marking where the swarm was when they arrived. The first person she heard was Amethyst. "Why're you carrying Pearl over your shoulder?"

"We had to get out of there fast. If she had any problems with it she'd have told me by now," Celestite said. "Wouldn't you, Pearl?" She asked setting the lieutenant on her feet. Pearl nodded ruffling the purple gem's hair playfully. "Where's Rose and Garnet? We need to talk to them."

"In the temple looking at the bubbled Gems. You'll play with me after you're done?" She asked her mentor, who smiled brightly in response. She tapped the younger one's nose before walking with Celestite to discuss their failed mission. The door opened to let them into the Burning Room, sealing shut behind them as they approached the pair talking by the lava pit. Both looked up when they heard the door surprise written on Rose's face at their appearance.

She jumped over to them landing softly in front of Pearl. The shortest Gem in the room had taken more damage than the lunar quartz had and it showed, but she waved off her friend's concerns by insisting her gem wasn't damaged so it looked much worse than it really was. It didn't deter Rose from hugging her tightly. "My Pearl, I'm so glad you're safe. Thank you, Celestite." Pearl stayed tucked against her friend's chest, although she did reach out for Garnet and grinned when dark gloved fingers intertwined with her own pale ones. "What happened?"

"There were more than we thought, and they were much stronger too. I made the decision to come back here and ask for your help rather than stay and fight. And I'm certain Pearl already has a map to show you where it is." The knight twisted in her arms until she faced away, her gem projecting the map she'd made. The details of it impressed Rose who studied it until she had it memorized. She kissed her hair when she did, and Pearl's projection flickered. "Whenever you're ready, call me. I need to rest a bit before going back out. You'd surprised how tiring carrying Pearl can be."

The mute stuck her tongue out at her, her eyes a perfect mirror to her mischief. _Try saying that after I've beat you in a fight again._

"Is that a challenge? 'Cause that sounded an awful lot like one," teased the knife-wielder.

 _Only if you aren't scared to take on one little pearl. How embarrassing would that be for you?_

"Oh, those're fighting words," grinned Celestite. "When we get back, you better be ready to fight!" Both warriors glared playfully at each other and wore confidant smirks. The spontaneous staring contest was broken by Rose who gasped, glancing worriedly between the two with a concerned little frown. She seemed to miss the light teasing behind their words if the way she hugged Pearl closer to her was any indication. Pearl winked at her and told her rival, _You have a duel. I hope you won't disappoint me. Surely you won't hold back._

The door opened and Celestite slyly declared, "I won't, and you better not." It shut behind her. Her last comment hovered in the room as Rose tried to understand what just happened. She felt Pearl pull away and loosened her hold, smiling at her dearest friend. The only one who hadn't given any sign of how she felt about the sudden turn in conversation. The wives were busy talking, so Rose relaxed. Garnet would say if it led to trouble and Pearl had proven countless times she could take care of herself if needed. Understanding set in: Pearl and Celestite would be sparring, not fighting like they used to do.

"I'm going to check on William and Buddy," she said. Her teammates nodded and waved, wrapped up in their own little world. Thought Garnet didn't tell Rose, she leaned in to whisper into Pearl's ear.

"There's a strong possibility for three fights today. We'll need Sardonyx for the second one."

 _How much time do we have?_ Pearl asked raising an eyebrow. Her hands played with the lapels of her jacket, traced along the wrappings at her waist, and snaked around to trace patterns on her back. She leaned up on her toes meeting Garnet halfway. Their lips met for a slow, passionate kiss.

When they parted, Garnet looked at her flushed expression with pride. "Plenty. Where do you have in mind?" Another, more urgent kiss answered her. _Here._

The swarm proved to be just as difficult as reported. It was a wonder Aragonite hadn't made an appearance, but when a large pale hand offered a dance, she knew why she hadn't. Her warrior had chosen a safer alternative: to fuse with her instead. Pink and white streaked with pale blue twirled around until they merged with a ferocious laugh that could be heard all the way back at the Temple.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: This chapter contains hateful comments about mutism. I do not feel that way personally, and apologize if I upset/offend anyone.

To Rage Against the Dying, it's not Homeworld soldiers, but here's a little Rose Quartz/Celestite fusion for you. :)

Loud vicious laughter drowned out the sounds of fighting. She didn't get to exist for more than a few hours at most, but now there was no one around who could stop her. She smashed the buzzing corrupted gems around her like they were nothing more than sad, pathetic flies unworthy of even being in her presence. Wild dark eyes glistened fanatically as she followed her deepest urge. Destroy everything became the mantra in her mind, the nagging relentless voice pushing her to do more damage. Raising her weapon, she swiped at a particularly annoying beast leveling a copse of trees with a single strike. Oh yes, Blue Lace Agate was having fun.

It's not enough swatting the pathetic empty shadows of former Gems, she wanted a challenge. She wanted a fight! First, she would take care of these pests. By the time she bubbled the last of the monsters, a large section of forest had been cleared between the two hills of the small peninsula. Movement on the beach drew her attention. Small figures ran around chasing each other on the sand. Annoyed such useless little things were near her, she stomped over prepared to crush them. How dare they exist near her without being strong enough to fight? Blue Lace Agate raised a foot, a small thrill going through her at the impending kills. She brought her foot down with explosive force. Her wild grin contorted into a confused frown when the dust cleared away.

"You wanna fight, huh? As if you could beat me!" A loud arrogant voice laughed. Standing in front of her, Sugalite grinned maliciously flashing her fangs. In one of her stripped hands she held the tiny figures Agate had tried to crush. Sugalite was as tall as she, her broad form covered in torn clothing, with wild hair that challenged the very thought of gravity. The giant purple fusion continued to grin cockily at her as she summoned her weapon. The ground shook as the weighted end of her flail hit it. "You ain't nothin'!"

Irritated beyond belief now, Blue Lace Agate stabbed at the newcomer. Instead of hitting her, the blade missed as the fusion stepped out of the way, her feral grin growing around as she did. "That all ya got?" She laughed, driving her two right hands into the other fusion's stomach. Blue Lace Agate felt her feet leave the ground, and then saw it rush towards her. Before she hit it, a large blur of dark purple slammed into her and sent her flying in a different direction. She tumbled head over heels across the ocean waves. With a groan, she stood up not knowing that she hovered just above the water. A furious roar escaped her. She would crush this fusion into the ground for that! She charged, dodging Suglite's next swing and thrust her sword at the exposed gem on her chest.

Her attack was batted away at the last second, but she persisted. Rage filled her thoughts and burned all strategies to dust in favor of sheer brute strength. _Destroy, shatter, annihilate!_ Echoed in her mind with each swing of her sword, grew louder with each hit she took, cheered as her own landed. This is what she'd wanted: a battle she could lose herself in. Her laughter filled the air, punctuated by Suglite's growls and chuckles. Neither fusion backed down. Again and again they fought trading blows with such force it terrified the two human residents. Pearl frowned as she watched the fight. She might have known it would turn out like this. If she didn't stop them the whole beach would be destroyed.

 _Stay here, unless they get too close. Then run._ William and Buddy nodded wide-eyed and scared, but trusting. She turned and ran to stop the fight. She jumped, landing on Sugalite's elbow, then on her shoulder where she clung to her shirt to keep from falling off. When her attempts to catch her attention failed, she turned to Blue Lace Agate hoping to get through to her. The whispers were returning the longer she couldn't get their attention. Pearl tried to say their names but the sounds caught in her throat and she could only produce short inaudible gasps. One of Agate's attacks nearly sliced her in half, making her fall. She hit the ground hard. It felt horrible propping herself up to look at her friends.

Now more determined than ever Pearl forced herself to her feet, summoned her spear, and aimed it at Blue Lace Agate. Light gathered at the tip of her glaive. When it was large enough she shot it at the light purple fusion. She then repeated her method with Sugalite. Both combatants looked at her in disdain. _Stop fighting! You need to unfuse this instant!_

"Why should I listen to a voiceless little trinket like you?" Blue Lace Agate snarled, kicking her. "You're nothing more than a toy pretending to be a real Gem! Pathetic!"

"You wanna fight us? You got nothin'. You're useless." Sugalite added. "Whatcha gonna do? Bet you can't even say our names. We don't need some pretty thing that can't even say their own name."

Pearl stared up at them, betrayal etched into every part of her expression. The whispers turned into shouts, she clamped her hands over her ears hoping to shut them out. Her eyes screwed shut. Still she could hear their words clearly.

"Waste of space—"

"Don't need or want you here—"

"You could talk if you really wanted to—"

"You're faking it all for attention."

Useless. Pathetic. Good for nothing. Defective. Unwanted. Every word they said to her made the shouts in her head louder, cut deeper, and suddenly it all went quiet. Her glaive lashed out, and faster than either fusion could see Pearl attacked. Empty eyes watched them fall apart. Forms of light broke away in the chaos, falling to the ground. The knight stared blankly at her friends and wife. While she knew fusions were someone more than their parts, the hurtful things Blue Lace Agate and Sugalite said had to come from somewhere. Pearl walked past them without even a glance their way, first passing Rose Quartz who cried as she tried to catch her eye, then Celestite laying ashamed in the dirt, past Amethyst trying to get up and talk to her, and finally walking away from Garnet who called out her name. She ignored them all. Garnet sobbed as her mate acted as if she didn't exist, angry at herself and at Sugalite for hurting her. She was angry at the others too, but she couldn't blame Pearl for walking away. The blue light of the warp flashed and she couldn't see where her mate went.


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry for the wait, that last chapter was tough to write.**

Weeks turned into months, yet none of the Crystal Gems could find where Pearl went. While it hurt not being able to find her, they knew she would come back if she wanted. That was the thought that nearly undid Garnet several times a day. She could look everywhere and not find her wife. She knows how she is: she never stood entirely still when she was calm, and grew ever more restless when upset. The only sign she had that Pearl was unharmed were the bubbled gems that appeared in the Temple regularly.

Each Gem coped with the change in their way. To her surprise, Celestite took everything harder than she thought she would. The lunar quartz knew well most of the terrible thoughts Blue Lace Agate expressed came from her lingering doubts. If she were honest with herself, she resented that she felt like that in the slightest towards a friend she highly respected. She would never admit it, but it was the smaller white Gem who convinced her to join Rose's army. She yelled angrily. As if apologizing wasn't difficult enough, now she had to wait until she knew where Pearl hid to do it. Her gaze wandered over to the area leveled by Blue Lace Agate. The land remained covered by felled trees from the fusion's rampage. Celestite jerked her head over to where Pearl's cherry tree stood, and felt relief flood through her at the discovery that it still remained.

Guilt crept back into her thoughts as she turned back to the new clearing, but an idea was slowly forming. She might not be a natural builder like Bismuths, or as technically minded like Pearl, but she did remember the plans Pearl showed her. There laid before her an abundance of materials. She could start building the town. Maybe if Pearl saw how she respected her skills, she would see how sorry she felt. Celestite thought about asking the others for help. Garnet would be no help. She barely kept herself together these days. Amethyst refused to leave her room in the temple. Rose… Rose kept looking at the warp pad hoping Pearl would come home. Shaking her head, the quartz came to her decision. The humans would be helpful after she did the first part of her plan.

The sound of several loud crashes drew Rose Quartz's attention away from the warp. Curious she went to see what made the noise, and she stopped when she saw Celestite lifting trees and arranging them in piles. Her stacks appeared to be sorted by type, and then size, and lined the entire coast. The soldier didn't want help, or she would have asked. Rose frowned. No, she would have asked if she thought anyone were capable of being helpful. She didn't notice Garnet stop next to her, her arms crossed and muttering to herself until the Gem stopped talking to herself and looked up. "She only wants help from William and Buddy. They'll need more nails."

"Oh, Garnet." Rose smiled sadly at her, "How are you feeling?" With one hand Garnet removed her glasses revealing her tired eyes.

"I feel terrible. I don't feel that way at all, and neither does Amethyst." Her vision blurred as she spoke. "We don't know why Sugalite said those things. Pearl didn't even look at me… us… She ignored us!" Her figure suddenly turned into blinding light that started to split down the middle. She struggled to hold it together. Several long moments passed until it dimmed again, leaving Garnet crying on her knees in the sand. Rose hugged her. All the while the sounds of Celestite lifting trees and setting them in their respective piles filled the air. Garnet gasped between sobs, "Her plan might work. I see many futures where it does. What if Pearl never wants to see me again?"

For some reason, that angered Rose. "No, Garnet. Don't question this. Pearl loves you, you know that! She just needs time and space."

"How can you be sure?" Garnet asked bitterly.

"Because you were the same way when the Sardonyx incident happened during the war." The words stabbed straight through Garnet. She hadn't realized that. All the hurt, anger, and betrayal she felt then—she'd just let it consume her. Pearl had tried to talk to her then, but she'd refused to talk or even look at her. It took Rose's intervention, Pearl's sacrifice to protect Ruby and Sapphire, and a vow of silence to mend their relationship after that. It ended with the alabaster knight forgetting how to talk along with extreme anxiety attacks nearly every time they came close to fusing. Now that Garnet was on the receiving end of that situation, she understood. She understood why Pearl looked so desperate to fix things between them. She understood how her silence hurt them both even as she was working through her own feelings at the time.

Garnet nodded. Rose could see her words had gotten through to her, so she left her to think about them while she checked on Amethyst. The temple door opened to a chaotic mess. Amethyst's junk piles were carelessly knocked over so where there once was a clear path through towering stacks of miscellaneous junk, now nothing was visible of the floor beneath. In the middle of it all overlooked a pile of toys. Amethyst sat on top playing with a stringed wooden object. Her hollow bell, Rose remembered, the one Pearl brought her from China. "Amethyst?"

"Yeah?"

"How are you feeling?"

"I only feel how I wanna feel," came the muttered response.

"How is that, then?"

"Terrible. She hates me now."

"That's not true. She couldn't hate you if she tried."

"Yeah, right." Upon closer inspection of the pile, Rose chuckled.

"You're sitting on the proof, Amethyst." She giggled. "Pearl usually avoids humans. Why would she bring you so many of their toys if she hated you?"

"I don't know," Amethyst grumbled, pulling her hollow bell back to her hand.

Rose ruffled her hair. "She loves you. I love you." She sighed. "If I see her, I'll tell her you miss her." That got the purple gem's attention.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

The pink quartz smiled. "I'm going to one of my gardens. Only Pearl and I are allowed in this one, so you must stay here." Amethyst pouted and went back to playing with her toy. She wanted to go see Pearl. She wanted Pearl to come back and not be mad at her anymore.

"Will you tell her I'm sorry?"

"Yes," Rose answered before leaving her room. She stood on the warp pad and hoped her lieutenant would go there. There was a lot they needed to talk about. Celestite was building Beach City all alone. Garnet now sat thinking about the parallels between their two biggest mistakes. Amethyst sulked in her room on a pile of gifts from her mentor. If only Pearl could see how she affected everyone, she might realize that Blue Lace Agate and Sugalite's opinions weren't everyone else's.


	14. Chapter 14

The garden once so lovely and welcoming now greeted the pink quartz with overgrown brambles and strangling weeds climbing up the rosebushes and trees. Where there had been clear walking paths wild grass took over, leaving Rose's dress torn and dirtied by the time she reached the willow in the middle of it all. As she swept aside the curtain of leaves, she struggled not to express her shock and relief. Despite all her hopes, she had not truly expected to find Pearl in their garden. She briefly considered backing away to let Pearl have her space, but no sooner did she move to do so, Pearl turned to glare at her. The pure pain, anger, and betrayal the leader saw in her brave little rebel changed her mind for her and she stepped closer. "Pearl, we need to talk about what happened."

Suspicious narrowed eyes searched her face, and when Pearl found whatever she was looking for, she nodded. Everything about her screamed she'd rather be alone instead of talking to anyone. Rose sat down gesturing for Pearl to do the same before speaking. "I'm sorry. Celestite and I knew what Blue Lace Agate is like, and we still fused." She looked at Pearl with watery eyes, glad her lieutenant hadn't left or demanded she go yet. "It's not the same without you. It's not like it was while you and Garnet were traveling… It's worse. I won't lie, I doubted your prolonged mutism from time to time but I never planned to say anything about it. Celestite admitted to having the same kind of thoughts.

"We—I am sorry. Please understand, what Blue Lace Agate and Sugalite said is not what any of us think of you." Rose pleaded. She reached for Pearl's hand, feeling both understanding and hurt when she pulled away from her even more. Pearl lifted her hands, anger making her signs hard to follow.

 _Don't touch me. Don't you dare touch me right now! I am furious with you, Rose. With all of you! I've been trying my best to relearn how to speak, but it seems you think I haven't tried at all. Do you know what's really sad? I expected this from Celestite! But not from you, or Amethyst, and especially not Garnet!_ Hot angry tears ran down her flushed cheeks. _Rose, I fought for this planet because I love you, and I believe in you. This isn't like the time Celestite said something. This is the worst I've ever felt since tricking Garnet._

A tense silence fell between them. Rose didn't know what to say to that. She couldn't heal this hurt with her healing tears. "Will you consider coming home?"

 _No. I don't want to see them._ Pearl signed.

"Amethyst said to tell you she's sorry. Garnet's barely keeping it together, metaphorically and literally. Celestite's…Celestite thinks words aren't enough."

For a few long moments, it seemed as if Pearl hadn't heard her. In truth the white Gem was thinking about her little shadow. Amethyst had never been anything but supportive towards her about her disability. It was Amethyst who never knew her voice before her vow of silence, Amethyst who had accepted it as part of who she was when they met the first time back in the Kindergarten. Try as she might, Pearl found she couldn't stay angry with the purple gem.

 _I'm not ready to forgive you yet,_ she eventually told Rose. _I need more time._

"Yes, Pearl." Rose murmured. She watched her knight stand and move to the wall of branches separating them from the outside world.

 _Our garden needs care. After we fix, it you need to leave._ Even though it was her garden too, Rose agreed. They worked quietly the whole time. Pearl never sent a glance her way, busying herself with detangling the vines without destroying the bushes. While Rose could have easily cleared this with her powers, she slowly came to realize this was her friend's way of accepting her apology. A tiny smile formed at the realization which she struggled to hide. It became impossible to resist when they moved the last of the weeds to their own bed. Pearl stood next to her, dirt streaked across her face and covering her hands. The image of her typically spotless friend so disheveled made her giddy, loud bubbling laughter shaking her entire frame.

"You've got a little dirt on you," she choked out between fits of giggles.

 _Did you forget I wanted you to leave?_ Pearl mouthed, irritation etched across her face. _Will you bring Amethyst here, please? I want to talk to her._ She stormed off to the willow tree and disappeared through the thick curtain of leaves to sit and wait for the youngest quartz. Rose took another look at their shared space, darkened by long shadows stretched across the ground. This was the garden she and Pearl made and cared for together. While she felt reluctant to bring another person here, if this was where Pearl felt safe to talk then she would bring anyone she wanted here. A short warp trip and she was back at the temple. Celestite glanced curiously at her from the beach, hunched over large plans drawn in the sand. The pink quartz offered a tiny smile to the question in her eyes.

Celestite looked back at her schematics. "That bad, huh?"

"We talked. She's not coming back for…" She sighed, "For a long time."

"I thought so," muttered the other gem. "I suppose she doesn't want to see any of us."

Rose chuckled, her laugh sounding bitter and envious. "She wants to see Amethyst."

If the warrior felt surprised she did a good job hiding it. "Makes sense, those two are close. And Amethyst adores Pearl, there's no chance she'd be ignored for much longer."

"You're right." Rose agreed. She opened the door to Amethyst's room again, this time to take her to her mentor. The young gem still sat on the pile holding a different item than before. It was a toy animal she now clung to, one Pearl had given her shortly after finding her. "Amethyst."

"Did you find her?"

"I did," the mass of white hair bounced as her head shot up, one round eye staring hopefully up at her. "She wants me to take you to her." Before she'd finished her sentence, Amethyst dashed out the temple to the warp pad nearly knocking Garnet over in her haste. The magenta fighter ruffled her hair.

"I'm gonna see Pearl!" Amethyst cheered. She bounced in place both excited and nervous about seeing her, but anxious to get there all the same. "Rose, c'mon! Let's go!" As Rose joined her on the warp pad, she stole a look at the fusion. Words weren't needed to know that it was a step forward. Garnet watched them leave without a word. Somehow, in the time she'd spent reflecting on their leader's words, more futures appeared in which she and Pearl got through this stronger than before.

Blue light flashed through the garden. Pearl saw it from her hiding place and waited for the second flash to tell her Rose had left. Seconds later it happened followed by loud footsteps running her direction. Amethyst tumbled through the branches, her eyes searching for her. The shapeshifter tried not to cry when she saw her favorite gem waiting for her. Pearl sighed and pulled her in for a hug. It didn't matter how upset she felt; she couldn't stand seeing Amethyst cry. Her hands rubbed soothing circles across her back as she rocked them both, nuzzling into the messy lavender hair.

"I'm sorry, Pearl! I don't know why Sugalite said those things! I swear!"

Pulling back just enough to look at her, Pearl brushed away her tears. _I know. I'm not mad at you anymore._ She kissed her friend's nose.

"You're not?"

 _I can't stay mad at you, no matter what happens. You're too precious._ Amethyst was blushing madly now and she laughed as Pearl peppered her face with kisses. She lashed out in retaliation, her fingers digging into Pearl's sides. The knight twisted away but she persisted until they were both on ground breathless and grinning.

Amethyst snuggled into her side, sound asleep. Long wiry arms held her safely while Pearl slowly dozed off. It felt good having Amethyst around again. If only she could feel so certain about the others… Pearl let the thought go before succumbing to sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

**So sorry it's been so long. House of Leaves, Awake at 3:17 AM, and life in general got in the way. :P So here's a slightly longer chapter to make up for it.**

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, resting in spots across the ground. Pearl blinked at the light shining in her face, tilting her head to see Amethyst curled up against her. She smiled, running her fingers through the silvery strands. Remembering where they were, the elder Gem sighed. The small figure with her stirred, rolled, and stretched. Yawning loudly Amethyst pouted as she opened her eyes. It quickly turned into a grin when she realized she was with Pearl, and that her mentor had forgiven her.

"Pearl!" She shouted. Pearl winced away from the noise, giving her friend a reproving look for yelling in her ear. "Oops, sorry. Can we play a game?" The purple gem hugged her looking up at her with round starry-eyed admiration. She nodded, and stood picking Amethyst up with her. Amethyst giggled. She'd missed being carried around in the way only Pearl did. Instead of suddenly starting a game of tag or hide-and-seek, she noticed Pearl walking to the warp pad. "Where're we going?"

 _To find a special place just for us, like this garden is for Rose and I._ She squeezed tighter making her laugh. _Any ideas?_

Amethyst went silent. Concerned, Pearl glanced down at her and seeing her thinking of places, she relaxed. While she waited, she warped them to Mask Island. She set her friend on the ground, then summoned her spear and looked around. This was one of the places she kept finding corruptions. While she knew Amethyst could take care of herself, Pearl didn't want her to fight if she didn't have to. A bush rustled nearby, but as the knight focused on it a small lizard scurried across the ground to another bush.

"I know a place!" Amethyst exclaimed, tugging her mentor back onto the warp pad to teleport them to an all-too-familiar place. The looming hole-ridden cliffs were just as ominous as ever, now defunct injectors lying about in various states of disuse, and the entire area giving the former servant a strong sense of discomfort. Of course, the young quartz paid it no mind seeing only the place she called home before they'd found each other. "It's this way!"

Pearl followed warily, her round eyes scanning everywhere for some unknown threat. Nothing leaped out at her, the only thing chasing them being their shadows and the echoes of the past. Amethyst led her through the Kindergarten, out of it, and into the forest beyond it. Now more curious than concerned, the white gem matched her friend's pace. She wanted to ask where they were going, but each time she opened her mouth the words caught in her throat. A weight settled in her stomach when after several more tries, she found she could not say anything. Had she forgotten all that she'd worked so hard to relearn? She walked right into Amethyst, blinking as her thoughts returned to the moment and she smiled at the worried look in the dark eyes watching.

 _It's alright. I got lost in my thoughts._ Pearl signed. She hugged her close and kissed her cheek, then kissed her forehead making the gem in her arms giggle loudly and squirm at the sudden act of affection. "Pearl, leggo of me! We're almost there!" Pearl stopped, giving her one last peck on her hair. They stood, the tallest one brushing bits of grass off them, before walking again. Amethyst led her to a cave. They had to crouch to fit through the entrance, with the pale knight lowering her head so her gem wouldn't get scratched. Water dripped somewhere deeper in the chasm. Pale fish swam around in circles in small pools. After a while the ceiling rose and they were able to stand upright again.

Suddenly the cavern opened into a large chamber filled with ferns, grass, and a copse of twisted trees growing in the center. A creek flowed around the edge of the space from the opening on the other side. Above it all, a large hole in the ceiling let in sunlight and fresh air. Pearl stared in awe at the hidden beauty before her. She let herself be pulled along, admiring the way the plant life flourished here in seclusion. "No one else knows about this place, so it can be our secret hideout, right Pearl?" The shapeshifter looked up at her with so much hope and love it nearly broke Pearl's heart that she'd ever been mad at her in the first place.

 _It's perfect, Amethyst!_ Pearl grinned, her hand darting out to tap her arm as she jumped back. _You're it!_ Laughing she ran out of Amethyst's reach, making the younger gem chase after her. The quartz changing into a bird and flew around trying to catch her friend. She was happy they were playing; nothing beat spending time with Pearl and she loved all the games the older gem taught her. She glided over her, changed back to her original shape, and tagged Pearl as she ran by.

o+o+o

Lying on the grass once more, the two gems watched the clouds drift overhead. Pearl's fingers absentmindedly combed through Amethyst's hair lulling her to sleep again. It was in this moment when the smaller one asked, "You forgot how to say stuff again, didn't you?" It wasn't said accusatory or resentful, just curiously. In many ways, it was the understanding tone Amethyst used that made Pearl answer her honestly. She nodded. "Is it 'cause of all the bad things we said?" Her voice sounded tiny and the knight felt her heart break. She drew Amethyst's attention to her face so she could keep stroking her hair. Once she was sure she had it, she moved her lips so that she could be clearly understood.

 _No. It is because of what Sugalite and Blue Lace said, not you or Rose or Celestite or Garnet. None of this is your fault._ She said with a look that told her not to argue.

"You are goin' to come back, right? You're not staying away forever?"

 _Of course I'm going back. It might take a long time before I feel like it, but I will._

"What if you don't?" Amethyst asked teary-eyed. "Garnet's barely keeping it together and Celestite's is doing something with trees. What if you decide you hate us and never want to see us again?"

Pearl bit her lip, thinking about how to answer. _I will. There's no way I could hate you, and I've already talked to Rose. Will you do a favor for me?_

The purple quartz nodded excitedly. "What do you want me to do?"

 _Tell Garnet, Ruby, and Sapphire to remember their promise to me._ Pearl looked at the darkening sky and sighed. _It's getting late. Let's get you back to the temple before the others start to worry._ Despite the younger's protests, she led the way out this time paying attention to where they went so she could find this place again. The trip back was quiet even with Pearl carrying Amethyst most of the way. They returned to the Kindergarten, the knight's steps echoing through the barren landscape. When they reached the warp pad, Pearl set her friend down. _We'll meet again at the same place in three days, and don't forget to tell Garnet. I love, Amethyst. I'll see you soon._

Amethyst hugged her legs tightly, and she bent down to return the embrace. "I love you too!" She released her and waved as she activated the warp to take her home. The blue light carried her back and vanished leaving her standing in front of the temple door. Amethyst ran outside to the beach hoping to find Garnet there. She didn't see her, so she went to Pearl's tree. The fusion wasn't there either. Amethyst hoped she wasn't somewhere in the temple she wasn't allowed. She turned to go there and bumped into the very Gem she was looking for. "Garnet!"

"Welcome back," answered the taller gem.

"Pearl told me to give you a message. It's for Ruby and Sapphire too." Garnet's eyebrows rose, surprise visible in her exposed third eye. "She said, 'Remember your promise.'" Tears fell down the fusion's cheeks. She thought Pearl wouldn't care, but she'd sent Amethyst to tell her not to unfuse, to not let herself fall apart over her mistake. How long would she have to wait before her mate returned to her? It doesn't matter, part of her whispered. We'll wait for as long as she needs.


	16. Chapter 16

**Real quickly, thank you to everyone. Readers, followers, reviewers, and those who favorited this story. I seriously love you all.**

As it turned it, just over a year passed until they met again completely on accident. Pearl had just sent Amethyst home sensing danger and not wanting her dear friend to get hurt. She knew how strong her shadow was but she didn't know what the danger was; not taking any chances she told Amethyst to go back and bring help if the warp pad whistled. Amethyst had hesitated until Pearl showed her the warp whistle she always carried. After that she'd listened leaving Pearl to investigate the threat she sensed. She left the Kindergarten, heading towards her and Amethyst's cave, turning west halfway there and walking that way.

The corruption found her first. Hitting her from behind, it smacked her across the forest and she gasped each time she hit the ground. Her tumble crashed to halt against a large tree. Snarling she pushed herself back on her feet with an icy glare worthy of Sapphire. It was taller than Garnet, its massive front legs seeming ridiculous compared to the short, squat hind quarters, with a coat of thick tangerine-colored fur covering everything but the massive mouth filled with four rows of yellowed teeth. One look at those made Pearl reconsider her plan of attack. Drawing her glaive without her usual flourish, the knight braced to dodge the creature's next attack.

Garnet sat cross-legged in the burning room. Her eyes were closed, her hands resting comfortably in her lap. She meditated in the warm ambience, her focus on the two small figures in the space in between, listening to their conversation. The couple were discussing their doubts and feeling about Pearl's mutism with the goal of having it sorted out before their best friend returned. Ruby argued that she could've tried to speak sooner, which Sapphire countered by saying that Pearl had told them she would talk when she felt it was the right time. Garnet added that her wife had shared those first tentative sounds with her only, struggled with her slow progress to relearn speech.

Neither she nor Sapphire foresaw the delicate, yet terrifying, rebel speaking again which tore at Garnet's heart like a million tiny claws, each one sharper than any weapon ever created by Bismuth. Guilt threatened to tear her apart again as Ruby and Sapphire continued to talk but Pearl's message echoed in her thoughts. It was enough to temporarily dispel the urge to fall apart. A vision at the edge of her and Sapphire's peripheral sight drew their concern, the urgency it signaled demanding immediate action. Their discussion would have to wait. Activity from a corrupted gem required Garnet's full attention for the moment.

Pearl pushed herself off the ground again and shook the splitters of her shoulders. Her body was now covered in scrapes and bruises from being thrown into multiple trees but her gem remained intact and she stood. Compared to the last two fusions she fought this gem moved sluggishly, its attacks lacked the sheer brute strength those two possessed. Still, for a moment, she wished her mate were there with her. Being tossed about like a rag doll grew tiring after a while. Pearl rolled to avoid another swipe at her, the creature's claws tearing deep gouges into the fallen tree she'd just occupied. A second attempt hit her, and this time when she rolled she felt her gem lightly scratch against a hidden rock under the layers of leaves. Her fingers skimmed across the surface accessing the damage. A tiny scratch, barely a shallow graze but deep enough to raise alarm, made her reach for the whistle.

The cool metal scarcely touched her lips, and then she was flying, tumbling, falling. One of the few trees she'd destroyed crashing into rose to meet her. Her eyes widened as the realization that she would be impaled hit her. Closer and faster she fell. The jagged splintered wood displayed in frightening detail captivated the horrified Gem. She opened her mouth to shout or scream or yell, and nothing came out. Not even her wife's name, which she'd practiced and worked over several years to say, refused to be vocalized. Suddenly she wasn't falling. Strong arms cradled her to a familiar chest, gem-embedded hands holding her securely with an iron-clad grip.

"Pearl, are you hurt?" The beloved accent confirmed it was Garnet who caught her. "Please, let me know you're alright." Pearl shook her head, indicated her gem was damaged. She still didn't want to talk to her. The situation needed some communication though, so she began signing.

 _Don't get too close from the front. It's got a long range, and those teeth don't look very pleasant. The fur's a kind of armor. I couldn't pierce it._ She told her.

"Your gem's scratched." Garnet noticed, her eyes taking in the battered state of her partner's appearance. "What happened?"

 _It smacked me into some trees. I got careless._ The fusion was setting her down under a tree so far unaffected by the battle. She didn't say anything about the smashed plant life or her mate's battered appearance. There wasn't time to comment on it just then, but her anger showed in the way her fists clenched in their gauntlets. She rolled her shoulders and tilted her head to the side with the clear crack of joints popping. The creature crouched and Pearl knew it was getting ready to pounce. The pale gem rose to her feet drawing her spear easily. Now that Garnet was here, she didn't feel overwhelmed, meaning she could focus on creating a more suitable strategy for this fight.

Garnet charged before it did. This caught it off guard, creating an opening in its defense, and she hit it with a right hook. She was racing against time here; if she didn't take care of this quickly, Pearl would be gone by the time she finished and turned around. It shook violently, screeching to show its menacing teeth, only to realize too late the threat waiting for it. A blast of light careened through its open jaws knocking it backwards. The seer blinked as she froze in place and then slowly turned to see Pearl standing behind her, her form flickering every few seconds. Pearl nodded at the corruption. Needing no further explanation, the tallest of the pair chased after it.

Tiny sparks crackled around her gauntlets. Garnet tried to stay calm, but the instant she saw the thing that had hurt Pearl scramble to its feet and shake itself off the sparks intensified, small bursts of electricity flashing dangerously around her. It seemed to notice her. Without eyes it was difficult to tell if the corruption was looking at her or not, and she wasn't going to give it another chance to recover. Fighting this one was harder than she thought and several times she had to remember what Pearl warned her about its fur and teeth. One punch connected; a massive shock surged from her fist through her enemy. Stunned it swung blindly, knocking her off-balance. The next step pinned her to the ground. As if somehow knowing it had immobilized her, the creature lowered its formless head, jaws ready to tear her apart, and then Pearl was there shoving her weapon into its mouth. Her glaive kept those teeth from snapping closed on her. The alabaster gem drew another spear and drove it through the roof of it mouth. The corruption gave a pained howl as it dissipated, leaving behind a stone as smooth as it was round. Garnet grabbed the gem from the dirt and bubbled it.

The area was empty when she turned around. "Pearl?" No answer from her mate. Mentally cringing at her slip, she looked around for clues as to where the silent Gem might have gone. "Pearl, please!" A faint repetition fading away mocked her with her words. Please…lease…ease…se…e… She grunted, spinning to hit one of the nearby trees and had to stop suddenly from hitting her mate. Her large armored gauntlet hovered a hair's breadth from Pearl's gem. The dancer didn't look fazed one bit. She glanced at the fist in her face with an eyebrow raised then directed her gaze to Garnet as though saying, _Are you going to move that or not?_ Shame burned Garnet's cheeks as she lowered her arm.

All of the things Ruby and Sapphire planned to say were long forgotten now. She struggled to finds what words, if any, could convince the person she loves to stay, to not walk away again. "I-I'm sorry." The words didn't feel enough to do anything. Yes, they felt like knives across her tongue and speaking them had been like pushing through ten battalions of quartz soldiers, but somehow they didn't convey how terrible things had been, or how she understood now how Pearl felt after the Sardonyx incident, or how she regretted ever letting her doubts (their doubts?) hurt her.

Cool, slender hands cupping her cheeks made her open her eyes. She hadn't realized she'd closed them. Sky blues waited for her to look at her. Pearl searched for any sign she didn't mean it, and finding none said, _I forgive you._

There were many possibilities where she would reject the offer of returning to the temple which would end their conversation then. "Your gem's scratched. We should get it healed."

 _I'm not going back to the temple yet._ Pearl moved to step away and Garnet followed, catching her hands.

"We don't have to," she answered. "We'll use Rose's fountain, then go somewhere else if you want." That they needed to talk went unsaid and understood between them. Pearl nodded leading the way to the Kindergarten. Although surreptitiously, her hand found its way around Garnet's bicep as they passed through the canyons. Just like the tiny sounds when the lieutenant began vocalizing again, Garnet cherished the familiarity though it did not mean they were alright. She knew it would take time and work to move past this. Glancing at her wife, she hoped everything would work out between them.

"Ruby and Sapphire want to talk to you."

 _Good, I want to talk to them too._ Pearl looked like she was going to say something else then changed her mind. _I love you, Garnet. It hurts being angry at you._

Thinking back, Garnet answered, "I know. We'll get through this."

 _Will things go back to normal? Will we go back to how things were?_

"No." Pearl cringed. "Pearl, we'll work to get past this. I'll show you that you can trust me again. And we'll be better than we were." She spoke passionately like she'd seen it for certain. Perhaps she had. Pearl shook her head at part of her declaration.

 _I do trust you. It's Sugalite I don't trust. She's out of control and overzealous._ She sighed. They would talk more about it after she healed. _Garnet?_

"Yes?"

 _Back there, when you were pinned down… I wanted to shatter that gem._


	17. Chapter 17

**Yikes, it's been a month since this story's been updated. I'm terribly sorry or the wait. And in an ironic turn of events, my wifi went down before I could finish this chapter. It's a bit short, but look for another chapter in the next few days.**

 **Thank you all for your patience!**

If Pearl had any reservations about the impending talk they were going to have, she hid them well. Instead she focused on making it back to the warp safely. Part of her wanted to dissipate and let Garnet carry her gem but she remembered the desperate look on her mate's face when she'd reformed and thought better of it. She admitted that using that plan would be taking the coward's way out: she took weeks refining her image. Her leg flickered, and she fell, noticing with no little amount of irritation that her foot was now backwards. Looking up, they noticed that the warp pad was just above them. A tiny sniff relayed Pearl's disbelief at her misfortune. Under different circumstances, Garnet would've smiled at the endearing irritable scowl now curling her wife's lips. This time, however, she bent down to check the scratch on Pearl's gem and found it getting worse. It cut deeper into the nacre.

The slender gem under her fidgeted, and she realized then how close they were. She stood up to give Pearl the space she knew she wanted, but a hand on her wrist stopped her. The disgusted look on her wife's face stung as if even touching her felt unpleasant to her. The blue-eyed gem seemed to read her thoughts as her hand retreated, joining the other as she rapidly signed. _I can't walk like this without help, Garnet. You know I don't like it when I can't do something as simple as walking on my own._ She sighed, pursing her lips, and wished she could explain that her loathed was directed at her current situation and not at the gem she loved. She could get to the warp if Garnet supported her as she walked. _Will you help me up, please?_

Garnet held out her hand, silently relieved at Pearl's explanation, and couldn't hold back a tiny smile as a smaller, lighter hand slid over hers. The smaller Gem stumbled as her twisted foot caught on the ground. An irritated huff came from her direction, and before she could think about it Garnet grabbed her arm, holding her close. Neither said anything about it as they walked on with Pearl leaning on her for support. She frowned at the cliff that normally would be no obstacle for her.

"I could carry you up," suggested her mate and though the thought of being incapable of climbing a small cliff wall irked her, it was soothed by the knowledge that Garnet understood how she felt. She nodded. A part of her that wasn't hurt and angry enjoyed being cradled in the magenta gem's arm like she was the most precious being in the universe. She missed having this closeness with her spouse more than she wanted to admit. Pearl snaked an arm around Garnet's shoulder for support unaware of how her action made her partner's eyes widen in surprise and quickly steal a glance behind her shades.

In a couple short jumps she scaled the ledge, yet she stood still a moment at the top debating whether she should set Pearl down or continue carrying her, her grip subconsciously tightening and relaxing. It wasn't until Pearl shifted in her arms that Garnet realized she'd been standing there for longer than she planned. Worried blues watched her beneath furrowed brows. Soft pink lips moved gracefully, saying: _Are you alright?_

"Yes," Garnet murmured back. "Do you want me to set you down?" She waited as Pearl visibly debated with herself what she wanted, the micro-expressions flitting across her face as she did, a thousand emotions playing across those beautiful eyes. The future teased her from the periphery of her vision but she pushed it aside. A soft hand on her cheek directed her attention to Pearl. _Would you mind carrying me a little longer?_ _I…_ Pearl's lips thinned as she worked out what she wanted to say. _I've missed you, despite everything. There's also that_ , she gestured to her leg. She missed her wife's beaming grin that now stretched from ear to ear.

"I don't mind."

+o+o+

When they arrived in the quick burst of blue light, they weren't expecting to see Celestite at the fountain floating in the water. The pair exchanged glances as Garnet casually walked up to the edge. Pearl canted her head to peer at the quartz. She'd reformed during her absence. Now she wore plainer outfit. Similar to her previous forms she wore trousers and a shirt, but this time the knight could tell the different intent behind it. The light blue pants were tucked into a sturdy pair of scuffed white boots. The wide-collared shirt that replaced the fitted high collar one before it tucked into her pants with a sash wrapped around her hips. The sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and gloves covered her hands.

The lunar gem noticed them at the same moment Garnet and Pearl sat on the short wall of the pool. Water splashed them as she moved jerkily to stand up. She shouted and cursed while she straightened. Neither other Gem paid her swearing any mind. They knew the warrior hated to be snuck up on, but what Celestite said next surprised Pearl. "Hey, don't go talking to me or anything yet. It's not done. It's almost nearly done! Sorry, just… could you wait to lecture me about what happened until I finish it?" Startled, the shortest Gem nodded. "Great! Thank you!" Before Pearl could sign anything or her partner could utter a word, the warrior ran off.

 _What was that about?_ Pearl signed.

"She's been working on her apology to you." She raised an eyebrow, pointing to her forehead and smirking a little. "She got some of the water on you." One hand flew up to her gem to find it smooth and unblemished. Pearl checked her form, glad to see everything as it should be. She saw Garnet sit next to her out of the corner of her eye. They said nothing for a while content to sit in silence before talking.

 **A.N. Don't worry, the next chapter is** ** _definitely_** **when they have their talk.**


	18. Chapter 18

The constant flow of the fountain lulled the pair into a quiet sense of calm, thought it did nothing to distract them from what they were going to talk about. Neither knew where to start, words almost spoken and left unsaid. Bit by bit the silence between them grew tense. Pearl's hands, which often moved in a series of gestures with graceful eloquence, now sat heavy and motionless in her lap. Briefly, her thoughts turned to how this would have gone thousands of years ago and she wondered if it would have felt this difficult then as well. She shook her head and refocused on the present.

Beside her, Garnet struggled to voice her thoughts. It seemed strangely poetic that by making a drastic choice, her partner had somehow avoided this kind of situation and they'd gotten closer after that. She frowned. That closeness came at a high cost for Pearl. If Rose hadn't pointed out how similar the Sardonyx incident was to the actions and words of both Sugalite and Blue Lace Agate, she doubted she'd have figured it out on her own. She knew what to say first in that moment. "I understand how you feel. Hurt, angry, betrayed...like you're going to fall apart. If Rose hadn't pointed it out to me, I would have missed how similar this is to the last time we fought like this."

 _Then you understand how much I didn't want to see or talk to you. Part of me doesn't want to forgive you._ Pearl noticed the tiny flinch Garnet tried to hide. She pushed on. _Why didn't you talk to me about it? If you had doubts, why didn't you tell me? You're always saying love takes work and time, but I think it needs a little more than that. I suppose that's what truly upsets me about all this more than anything else; that you, or Ruby and Sapphire, had those kinds of thoughts and kept them secret. That I had to learn that from Sugalite._ She paused, taking a moment to watch the way the afternoon breeze made the topiary leaves dance in its wake. The possibilities of the answer scared her. She worried whether she truly wanted to know.

'Why didn't you talk to me about it?' The question made Garnet stop and think. She removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. Had it been her doubts about the other's inability to talk or her components'? "I didn't know." At the look of sheer disbelief her wife shot her, she persisted. "I didn't. I was worried you'd never talk again. Then you started to speak again, just these tiny sounds, and they're the most beautiful sounds in the universe, Pearl." She met her gaze and tried to convey everything she felt through her eyes. The urge to unfuse felt particularly insistent. "Ruby and Sapphire want to talk to you now." The mute knight nodded, wanting to talk to her friends.

There was a flash of light, and two shorter Gems stood before Pearl. Ruby was the first to talk pacing furiously back and forth, steam rising from her small stature. She whirled on the knight, jabbing a finger into her chest as she shouted. "Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried we were over you? You're angry at us, fine! But at least let us know you're okay once in a while! You disappeared and all we had to tell us you didn't go corrupt or got shattered was the bubbled gems that showed up in the temple! We wanted to go find you but no one could figure out where you went or where you were going next, and we couldn't see you!" Each sentence was punctuated with another jab until Pearl had to grab the ledge to keep her balance.

Sapphire floated next her, calmly sitting down. Although the blue seer didn't say a word, she agreed with her partner. She placed a hand on Pearl's drawing the tallest Gem's attention to her. "Hello, Pearl." They heard Ruby reluctantly stop her tirade to echo the greeting. Pearl pulled her hand from Sapphire's with a reassuring smile.

 _Hello, Sapphire. Hello, Ruby._ Pearl signed. They noticed the way her hands had moved in short stiff gestures despite the lieutenant's kind expression.

All of a sudden, she found herself in the fountain with two armfuls of corundum. Thankful she didn't need to breath to live she rolled her eyes at the affection duo clinging to her torso. She kicked the bottom of the pool propelling them to the surface where she grabbed the ledge. Her irritation faded with the giggles coming from Ruby and Sapphire. Pearl brushed the seer's bangs out of her face. _Whose idea was that?_

"Mine!" Ruby boasted, puffing her chest out. Her partner fell into another fit of giggles. "Pearl? Are you still mad at us?"

Immediately Sapphire's mirth dimmed, her attention on the Gem lifting the out of the fountain before climbing out herself, and watched as she wringed water from her clothes. She didn't look at them for a handful of torturously long seconds. In her head she was asking herself the same question, waiting until she found the answer to the question to voice it out loud. Eventually she came to a conclusion, sighing heavily as she shook her head.

 _No. I am hurt, and sad, and confused, but I'm not angry anymore._ She mouthed since her hands were busy wringing excess water out of her hair. _Be honest with me, did you think I was faking it? Or that I just wanted attention?_

"I thought so at first… the attention part, not the faking… but then you continued _not_ talking." It was surprisingly Sapphire who spoke first. "I knew you were serious when Garnet saw you struggling to communicate without speech."

"Then you starting making this little noises, and it was like you could do it all along and were tricking us," Ruby added. "Then we learned you'd forgotten and had spent a lot of time practicing saying Garnet's name…" She blushed embarrassed. "You forgot again, didn't you?" It wasn't asked accusingly, the fiery gem's tone soft and unusually timid. The dancer nodded morosely, wishing she could deny it. Over the past year she'd tried to talk, to say Amethyst's name, or "no", and when she knew she was along, Garnet's name. No sound came forth, leaving her sobbing and alone with her perceived failure.

 _I've tried. Stars, I've tried. It's like all my progress until now has been erased._ Her bitter self-loathing twisted her face into a mask of disdain.

"We're sorry." The corundums said in unison.

 _It's not your fault._ She shook her head at Ruby who looked like she was going to deny it and say it was. _It's not. Just promise me next time you have thoughts like those, you'll talk to me? I'd rather know about them than be left to find out about it another way. Please?_

"Yes, Pearl."

"Yeah, we will." Ruby frowned. "I got one now."

 _Oh? What is it?_

"That you won't want to come home yet and you'll stay away without letting us know you're okay." Ruby growled, squinting at her. Pearl kneeled to their level and hugged them. "Don't think this means you get out of answering me."

Pearl smiled, the first real one she'd directed at them in a long time. _I am a bit tired._ She raised an eyebrow. _Just when can I come back? Celestite asked I stay away a bit longer._

Sapphire smiled back, "She'll be fine if it's the temple or the beach. Avoid the valley and it'll be alright." She laughed when Pearl pressed a kiss to her cheek, then Ruby's, alternating until they were both laughing loudly. The two shorter Gems started glowing and Garnet was there, lifting Pearl up and spinning her around.

"Pearl! Does this mean you'll come home?"

 _Only if you promise we'll have more talks like this one._ Pearl replied.

"Is this what you meant when you said you think it takes more than work and time?"

 _Yes. It needs honesty, talking to each other._

"Alright. We'll talk more." Garnet agreed, glad that they'd gotten the worst part over with, and nuzzled Pearl's hair. "Will you tell me what you've done?" As Pearl recounted all her adventures to her wife, the fusion listened avidly to each detail, imagining each battle that she fought, each interaction with humans, and even the quiet moments where her mate described having a peaceful reprieve from it all. In turn, she told Pearl everything that happened back at the temple omitting Celestite's project. They spent several days reconnecting with each other. It was only when Amethyst and Rose Quartz came to check on them that they realized how long it had been. The air was still a little tense when the four warped back together, but it wasn't as strong as before. The shapeshifter clung to Pearl the entire way, and Pearl looped her arm around Garnet's for balance.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey folks. Thank you all for being so patient and sticking with this story with me so far.**

Despite returning to the temple, Pearl still went off for long periods of time on dangerous missions, barely informing anyone before vanishing in a flurry of light. Each time she returned Garnet greeted her with a smile while surreptitiously checking for injuries. Their interactions were still stilted and they knew it would be longer before everything settled down. At the moment, the fusion leaned against the Cliffside watching Pearl and Amethyst play in the waves. She smiled at the view. She still marveled at how well the small quartz could read the swords master, and how readily Pearl often forgave her.

Someone walked over and leaned against the stone wall next to her. From the flutter of silver, she recognized Celestite, who apparently decided to take a break. "Hello, Celestite."

"Hey." The soldier watched her teammates play. "I'm almost finished. It just needs a few things before I can show her." She chuckled, turning her gaze to the light clouds slowly drifting across the sky. She had thought about showing the stubborn knight early for a split second before discarding the idea. Now, seeing the other snowy colored Gem interacting with Amethyst after returning with Garnet, she felt lighter than she had the entire time Pearl had been absent. She wondered if the others had realized how incomplete the small group was without a certain defiant Pearl. With one last nod to Garnet she pushed from the Cliffside to return to her work, waving to Pearl and Amethyst as she did. To her surprise Pearl waved back.

Pearl blinked at the lunar gem's retreating back. She wasn't given much time to wonder why she hadn't joined them in the water before Amethyst splashed water in her face. Irritation narrowed her eyes when she looked at her friend while she spat out seawater, grimacing at the taste. Her upper lip curled in disgust. _Amethyst!_

"Yeah?" She asked, splashing her again. She yelped and dove in the water to avoid Pearl's counter splash. "You missed me!" Pearl rose in eyebrow in challenge. She swiped her hand across the surface of the water against the wave rolling past. The water hit Amethyst in her chest. She pushed water back in Pearl's direction only to find her gone. She spun around confused, and a bit scared her role model had left again, and saw Garnet pointing to the ground. Why was she—? A pair of hands grabbed her sides and pulled her under the waves. She gasped as they resurfaced. Pearl held Amethyst close to her, a wide toothy grin and glimmering eyes showing the smallest of the pair the pure happiness she felt. She hugged her back, clinging to the narrow shoulders, mirroring the expression.

Pearl held onto her even as she walked them both to the shore. Amethyst didn't seem to mind. In fact, she enjoyed it if the giggles and smiles directed her way were any indication. "Garnet, did you see what Pearl did? She dunked me!"

"I saw," came the amused answer. "I tried to warn you."

"Yeah, I know." She grinned. "It was still awesome."

Garnet winked at her wife, smirked at the cerulean flush painting her cheeks. "She is awesome."


End file.
